JOYDIP MITRA Vs. STATE OF WEST BENGAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Ia No: CAN 1 of 2020 (Old No: CAN 4203 of 2020) is allowed without costs in view of the urgency involved and the writ petition itself is finally heard.

(2.) The petitioner is an advocate, empanelled with various insurance companies, banks and financial institutions and also deals with criminal cases at the Judges Court at Nadia since 2013. The petitioner applied for a gun licence on July 9, 2019 before the District Magistrate at Nadia, upon which a police report was called for. The S.I. of the Police, Kotwali Police Station, Krishnanagar PD at Nadia gave a report on September 1, 2019, observing inter alia that the petitioner has professional threat in life but no case was recorded in the said police station and nothing adverse could be found against him. It was further mentioned in the report that the police had no objection if the petitioner was granted arms licence.

(3.) Subsequently, the Additional District Magistrate (Gen) at Nadia called the petitioner for hearing and, upon such hearing, rejected the petitioner s application for arms licence vide order dated February 28, 2020. The primary ground for such refusal, as reflected from the order, was that the petitioner had no specific threat to life and property. Being aggrieved by the said refusal, the petitioner has preferred the instant writ petition.