High Court orders DGP to submit an affidavit outlining the requirements for issuing a license to possess firearms

The Punjab Director-General of Police has been requested by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to submit an affidavit on the existence of any procedure, guidelines, or requirements under the Arms Act of 1959 for the issuance of “armed licences” in the state. Additionally, he has been requested to provide the total number of weapons permits that Punjab has granted over the last five years.

The DGP was also requested by High Court Justice Harkesh Manuja to detail the number of surprise visits that have been made to each district since November 2022 in order to inspect the exhibition of guns at public events. Furthermore, in accordance with Section 13(2) of the Arms Act, 1959, he was requested to provide specifics on the measures being taken to guarantee “that the report of the officer in charge of the nearest police station is not being manipulated.”

According to Justice Manuja, the Punjab government issued an order or directive on November 13, 2022, prohibiting the use of guns in public areas and on social media. Additionally, it received a lot of media attention. As a result, the officers were also given the order to make unexpected and unique excursions to the regions under their control.

Justice Manuja said, “Despite the fact that no discernible change has occurred on the ground, and although it is common to use firearms in marriages and public gatherings, it is also the case that legally owned firearms are being used for criminal purposes.”