SC initiates suo motu proceedings to curb possession of unlicensed firearms in UP, calls trend 'disturbing'
New Delhi, February 13: Supreme Court on Monday initiated suo motu proceedings to curb the possession and use of unlicensed firearms in Uttar Pradesh. The top court also remarked that the trend of using illegal guns is "disturbing".
The Supreme Court went on to say that there is no right to bear firearms under the Indian Constitution, as opposed to the US constitution, which makes the right to bear firearms a Fundamental Right. The suo motu case was registered by a bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna, who asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to file an affidavit detailing the number of cases registered for possession and use of unlicensed firearms under various provisions of law.
The court also asked Uttar Pradesh what steps it had taken to combat the evil of unlicensed firearms.
The court began its own proceedings while hearing Rajendra Singh's bail application from Uttar Pradesh. He has filed an appeal against the Allahabad High Court order dated June 1, 2022, through his lawyer, Rohit Kumar Singh.
The Allahabad High Court denied his bail application in connection with an FIR filed in Khekhra, district Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. According to UP police, in July 2017, the Petitioner and other co-accused persons allegedly murdered one man by firing and injured two other men with firearms, and the firearm allegedly used in the crime was recovered from Petitioner Rajendra Singh.
During the hearing, Justice KM Joseph stated that he is from Kerala, where such cases are rare, whereas Justice BV Nagarathna stated that this is a feudal mindset.
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