Disposed¶19

Pukhraj v. State of U.P. and 2 Others

Allahabad HC9 Sept 2025WRIC/31135/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Firearm licence application delay; Arms Act statutory timelines; District Magistrate Ghaziabad; direction to decide licence application within four weeks; Government Order dated 10.3.2025 on timelines; writ disposed; Allahabad High Court; Prakash Padia, J.; WRIT - C No. 31135 of 2025.

What did the court decide?

Direction to respondent No.2/District Magistrate, Ghaziabad to decide the petitioner's firearm licence application most expeditiously, preferably within four weeks; and, if a decision has already been taken, to communicate it to the petitioner forthwith. ¶19

Pukhraj vs State of U.P. and 2 Others — Allahabad HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶19

Issue for consideration

Whether respondent No.2/District Magistrate, Ghaziabad should be directed to take a decision on the petitioner's pending application for grant of a firearm licence. +1 more

¶10

Court's answer

The petition is disposed of directing respondent No.2/District Magistrate, Ghaziabad to decide the petitioner's firearm licence application most expeditiously and preferably within four weeks.

¶19

Ratio / Principle

If a decision on the application has already been taken by the District Magistrate, Ghaziabad, he will communicate the same to the petitioner forthwith.

¶20

Key takeaways

The Court observed that although the Arms Act and the Rules prescribe timelines for deciding firearm licence applications, these timelines are not being honoured by District Magistrates, resulting in a flood of litigation before the Court seeking time-bound decisions.obiter¶14
Pursuant to decisions taken by this Court in similar matters, the Government issued a Government Order dated 10.3.2025 directing all District Magistrates to comply with the timelines provided for consideration of firearm licence applications.obiter¶18

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ petition disposed of by a Single Judge of the Allahabad High Court directing the District Magistrate, Ghaziabad to decide the petitioner's application dated 09.05.2025 for grant of a firearm licence most expeditiously, preferably within four weeks, and to communicate any decision already taken forthwith. The Court noted that the Arms Act and the Rules prescribe timelines for deciding such applications, that these timelines are frequently not honoured by District Magistrates, generating a flood of similar writ petitions, and that pursuant to the Court's earlier orders the Government issued a Government Order dated 10.3.2025 directing all District Magistrates to comply with the prescribed timelines.

¶1

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD

¶2

WRIT - C No. - 31135 of 2025

Pukhraj

.....Petitioner(s)

Versus

State Of U.P. And 2 Others

¶7

Counsel for Petitioner(s)	: Shyam Singh Somvanshi .....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Respondent(s)	: C.S.C.

¶8

Court No. - 33

¶9

HON'BLE PRAKASH PADIA, J.

¶10

The petitioner has preferred the present petition inter alia with the prayer to direct the respondent no.2 to issue the firearm license to the petitioner.

¶11

It is argued by learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner has filed an application on 09.05.2025 for grant of fire arm license before the respondent No.2/District Magistrate, Ghaziabad, but till date no final decision has been taken in the matter.

¶12

On the other hand, it is argued by learned Standing Counsel that the respondent No.2 will take a decision in the matter expeditiously.

¶13

Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record.

¶14

Time and again such kind of matters are coming before this Court for deciding the application for grant of Firearm License which are pending before the District Magistrate concerned. The Arms Act and the Rules itself provide the timeline within which such applications are to be decided. However, the aforesaid timeline are not being honoured by the District Magistrate concerned and as a result of the same, flood of litigation are coming before this Court for seeking direction that the application for grant of fire arms license/renewal of arms license be decided in a time bound manner. The Court has

¶15

WRIC No. 31135 of 2025

¶16

¶17

(Prakash Padia,J.)

¶18

passed various orders in such type of matters and pursuant to the decision taken by this Court, the Government has issued a Government Order dated 10.3.2025 directing all the District Magistrates to comply with the timelines provided for consideration of the application for firearm license.

¶19

In the facts and circumstances of the case, the present petition is disposed of directing the respondent No.2/District Magistrate, Ghaziabad to decide the aforesaid application most expeditiously and preferably within a period of four weeks from today.

¶20

In case the decision has already been taken by the District Magistrate, Ghaziabad he will communicate the same to the petitioner forthwith.

¶21

September 9, 2025

¶22

S.K.

¶23

Digitally signed by :- SWEETY KANOJIA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

Pukhraj v. State of U.P. and 2 Others

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Pukhraj v. State of U.P. and 2 Others

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Statutes considered

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

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