A division bench of Justices A S Oka and C V Bhadang was last week hearing a petition filed by businessman Avinash Sonawane challenging an order passed by the state Minister of Home (Appellant Authority) dismissing his application for licence to possess firearms.
Sonawane had approached the appellant authority after the Licencing Authority rejected his application on July 14, 2015. Sonwane had claimed threat to his life as a ground while seeking licence to possess a firearm.
The court, however, quashed and set aside both the orders and said it shows "complete non-application of mind".
"An occasion for making application for possessing a firearm arises when a citizen is of the view that there is a threat to his life. Surely when a citizen makes an application contending that there is a threat to his life, the same cannot be treated casually in the manner in which the same has been done in the present case by the Licensing Authority," the court said.
The bench has directed the Appellant Authority to hear and decide the petitioner's case afresh and pass its order by February 29.