IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.15871 of 2010 Date of Decision : March 07, 2011. Pala Singh .....Petitioner versus State of Punjab and others .....Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT. Present : None for the petitioner. -.- 1. Whether Reporters of Local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? --- Surya Kant, J. (Oral) No one appears on behalf of the petitioner. On the last date of hearing also, the petitioner was un-represented. The petitioner has been denied renewal of the Arms Licence on the plea that after it was granted to him on 21st April, 1968, he was found involved in a case bearing FIR No.156 under Sections 302, 307, 148 & 149 IPC registered on 13.8.1973 in which he was convicted and sentenced to undergo life imprisonment. The petitioner after his release from the custody on 10th May, 2008 applied for the return of the Arms Licence and Rifle which was lying deposited in the Malkhana. Since the validity period of the Arms Licence has already expired, the petitioner sought its renewal which has been declined for the reason(s) mentioned above. His appeal also met with the same fate. C.W.P.No .15871 of 2010 2 Aggrieved, the petitioner has approached this Court. A perusal of the appellate order reveals that besides his involvement in the murder case which led to his conviction, the petitioner has been found involved in a case under the Excise Act also. In these circumstances, the apprehension expressed by the authorities that there is likelihood of the petitioner's misusing the licenced weapon, has some factual foundation. The petitioner has not placed on record the copy of the judgment of the case under Sections 302/307/148 IPC to find out as to whether the murder was committed with the licensed weapon only. Suffice it to mention that if the petitioner has enough material to substantiate that he is a reformed person or that his record while in or outside the jail does not even remotely suggest any possibility of his taking law into his hands, it would be open to him to apply for a fresh Arms Licence on the basis of changed circumstances, if such a recourse is available to him in law. With these liberties, the writ petition is dismissed. March 07, 2011 (SURYA KANT) Mohinder JUDGE