The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir has refused to quash multiple FIRs linked to a decade-old fake gun licence scam, and has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into two pending cases registered in Rajouri district. The court also left open the possibility for the government to transfer the probe to specialised agencies like the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Justice Rajnesh Oswal, in a detailed order issued on July 11, dismissed petitions filed by several accused, including government officials, who had sought to nullify four FIRs on the ground that an earlier FIR already existed at Janipur police station in Jammu.
The original case dates back to February 7, 2011, when two individuals were apprehended in Jammu with 12 bore guns. Their weapon licences, allegedly issued by the SDM of Mendhar (Poonch), listed fake addresses from Kupwara, Kathua, and Budhal districts. This led to the discovery of a wider fake licence racket, prompting the formation of an SIT which found irregularities in the issuance of gun licences from the offices of the Additional District Magistrate in Rajouri and the SDM of Mendhar.
Following the SIT’s findings, two FIRs were registered in 2011 at Rajouri and Mendhar police stations, relating to 216 and 179 fake licences respectively. Two additional FIRs were subsequently filed in Kandi (2012) and Thanamandi (2015) in Rajouri district.
While rejecting the accused’s plea that multiple FIRs were unjustified, the court upheld the Senior Additional Advocate General Monika Kohli’s argument that the new FIRs were legally tenable, given they concerned separate sets of illegal licences.
The court directed the Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, to transfer the investigations of the FIRs registered in Kandi and Thanamandi to the SIT already handling the Janipur case. The IGP has also been tasked with monitoring the SIT’s progress and ensuring timely submission of the final report before the appropriate court.
The ruling underscores the High Court’s stand on holding those responsible accountable, regardless of the time elapsed, and strengthens the legal backing for continued investigation into the fake arms licence racket that has plagued the region.
