Saurav Srivastava vs State of U.P. and Another — Allahabad HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Saurav Srivastava vs State of U.P. and Another — Allahabad HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Direction upon respondent no.2 to accord consideration to petitioner's application for grant of firearm licence by passing an appropriate order in accordance with law, within a period of two months from the date of presentation of certified copy of the order; merits expressly not examined and all issues left open.

Issue for consideration

Whether petitioner's pending application for grant of a firearm licence — outstanding beyond the 60-day period prescribed by Rule 13 of the Arms Rules, 2013 — should now be accorded consideration by the competent authority in accordance with law.

Court's answer

Rule 13 of the Arms Rules, 2013, framed under the Arms Act, 1959, prescribes a time limit of 60 days for consideration of a claim for grant of firearm licence from the date of receipt of the police report.

Ratio / Principle

This Court disposed of the writ petition with a direction upon respondent no.2 to accord consideration to petitioner's application for grant of firearm licence by passing an appropriate order in accordance with law within a period of two months from the date of presentation of the certified copy of the order.

Key takeaways

This Court clarified that it had not examined the petitioner's claim on merits and that all issues were left open to be considered by the competent authority at the first instance.ratio¶12

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT (Court No. 9) — Hon'ble Arun Kumar, J. — WRIT - C No. 44223 of 2025 (decided December 16, 2025): Writ petition of Saurav Srivastava disposed of without examining merits. Grievance: petitioner's application for a firearm licence lay unconsidered even after expiry of a sufficient period. Court noted that Rule 13 of the Arms Rules, 2013 (framed under the Arms Act, 1959) fixes a 60-day limit for consideration of a firearm licence claim from receipt of the police report, and directed respondent no.2 to accord consideration to the application and pass an appropriate order in accordance with law within two months of presentation of the certified copy of the order. All substantive issues expressly left open to the competent authority at the first instance.

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD

WRIT - C No. - 44223 of 2025

Saurav Srivastava

.....Petitioner(s)

	Versus
State of U.P. and Another		.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s)	:	Ratnesh Kumar Jaiswal
Counsel for Respondent(s)	:	C.S.C.

Court No. - 9

HON'BLE ARUN KUMAR, J.

Petitioner claims to have applied for grant of firearm licence. Grievance is that even after expiry of sufficient period, petitioner's application has not been considered.

Learned Standing Counsel states that in case petitioner's application has not been considered so far the same shall be examined by the competent authority in accordance with law.

Rule 13 of the Arms Rules, 2013 framed under the Arms Act, 1959 clearly provides time limit of 60 days for consideration of claim for grant of firearm licence from the date of receipt of police report.

In the aforesaid facts and circumstances, this writ petition stands disposed of with a direction upon the respondent no.2 to accord consideration to petitioner's application for grant of firearm licence, by passing appropriate order, in accordance with law, within a period of two months from the date of presentation of certified copy of this order.

It is, however, clarified that this Court has not examined the claim of the petitioner on merits and all issues are left open to be considered by the authority competent, at the first instance.

(Arun Kumar,J.)

December 16, 2025 Ranjeet Sahu

Digitally signed by :- RANJEET SAHU High Court of Judicature at Allahabad