Disposed¶28

Anupdhar Dubey v. The State of Bihar

Patna HC10 Feb 2026CWJC/15306/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Arms licence; new arms licence rifle and pistol; delay/non-disposal of 2021 application; direction/mandamus to District Magistrate West Champaran, Bettiah; disposal within two months; Arms Rules, 2016 time limit; State Home Department guidelines dated 24.06.2025; elected public representatives of three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions and Gram Kachhari; District Arms Magistrate letter dated 28.01.2026; affidavit of criminal antecedents; Patna High Court; CWJC No.15306 of 2025; Anil Kumar Sinha, J.; decided 10-02-2026.

What did the court decide?

Direction to the District Magistrate, West Champaran, Bettiah, to dispose of the petitioner's arms licence application in accordance with law expeditiously, preferably within two months. ¶28

Anupdhar Dubey Vs The State of Bihar — Patna HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.15306 of 2025

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Anupdhar Dubey S/o-Shree Akhileshwardhar Dubey Resident of VillageSherahwa, P.O.-Murli, P.S.-Shikarpur, Block-Narkatiyaganj, District-West Champaran, Bihar.

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... ... Petitioner/s

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Versus

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The State of Bihar through Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, Patna.

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The Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

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The Secretary, Panchayati Raj Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

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The Commissioner, Tirhut Division, Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

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The Distirct Magistrate, West Champaran, Bettiah.

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The Superintendent of Police, Bettiah, West Champaran.

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The Station House Officer, Shikarpur Police Station, West Champaran, Bettiah.

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... ... Respondent/s

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Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Manaur Alam For the Respondent/s : Mr. Government Advocate (05) ======================================================

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CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KUMAR SINHA ORAL ORDER

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2 10-02-2026 1. The petitioner has filed the present writ application for a direction upon the District Magistrate, West Champaran, Bettiah, for grant of new arms license for a rifle and pistol in his favour.

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2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is a farmer and public representative and was elected as Ward Member of Sherahawa Gram Panchayat on 16.06.2006 and he was also elected as Chairman, Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) as well as

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Patna High Court CWJC No.15306 of 2025(2) dt.10-02-2026 2/4

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elected as Mukhiya of Sherahawa Gram Panchayat, Narkatiaganj, West Champaran, in the year 2021.

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3. The petitioner has completed training in the basic arms and ammunition safety regulation and a training certificate has been issued by the approved training centre registered with the Government of India on 19.06.2024 a copy of which has been annexed at Annexure-4 series.

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4. Since the petitioner is a big farmer, politician and public representative, as such, he has continuous threat of his life. The Government under its Home Department has issued guidelines on 24.06.2025 to all District Magistrates and Senior Superintendents of Police/Superintendent of Police that action on the application received for arms license of elected public representatives of three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions and Gram Kachhari should be completed within the prescribed time limit as per the Arms Rules, 2016.

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5. The petitioner applied for arms license in the year 2021 with all requisite documents, but no steps for disposal of his application has been taken for the last 2½ years. After filing of the writ petition, recently, the counter affidavit has been filed stating that the respondent-authorities are

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Patna High Court CWJC No.15306 of 2025(2) dt.10-02-2026 3/4

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taking appropriate steps on application for grant of arms license of the petitioner.

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6. During course of arguments, learned counsel for the petitioner produced a letter, dated 28.01.2026, issued by the District Arms Magistrate, West Champaran, Bettiah, requiring the petitioner to submit certain documents including affidavit regarding his criminal antecedents. In response to the aforesaid letter, the petitioner has already submitted his affidavit and requisite documents on 06.02.2026.

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7. Learned counsel for the State submits that District Magistrate may be directed to dispose the application of the petitioner for arms license in accordance with law within a reasonable time frame.

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8. Having heard learned counsel for the parties and considering the nature of prayer made in the writ application, the same is disposed with direction to the District Magistrate, West Champaran, Bettiah, to dispose the application for arms license of the petitioner in accordance with law expeditiously, preferable within a period of two months from today.

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9. With the aforesaid observations and directions, this writ

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Patna High Court CWJC No.15306 of 2025(2) dt.10-02-2026 4/4

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application is, accordingly, disposed.

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(Anil Kumar Sinha, J)

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ashwani/-

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