High Court to hear PIL in arms licence scam on August 7

Jammu, Jul 18: High Court of J&K and Ladakh will hear the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in arms licence scam on August 7, 2025. A Division Bench of High Court of J&K and Ladakh, headed by the Chief Justice (CJ) Arun Palli, directed the registry to relist the instant PIL on August 7 as the matter could not be considered by it (Division Bench) due to paucity of time on Friday (July 18, 2025).

The Division Bench of High Court of J&K and Ladakh at Jammu, comprising the CJ Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal, was hearing the PIL No 09/2012 (related to arms licences scam) titled Sheikh Mohd Shafi & Anr V/s Union of India and Others, through virtual mode.

When this PIL came up for hearing, Senior Additional Advocate General (AAG) Mohsin Qadri and assisting counsel, appearing for UT of J&K, informed the Division Bench that pursuant to order dated April 24, 2025, the General Administration Department (GAD) filed a comprehensive status report indicating the steps taken as directed by it (Division Bench) vide its detailed order passed on April 24, 2025.

Advocate S S Ahmed with another advocate appearing for the petitioners submitted that he had already received the copy of the status report filed by GAD.

The matter, however, could not be considered by the Division Bench due to paucity of time yet looking into the importance of the matter, the Division Bench directed the Registry to re-list the instant PIL on August 7, 2025.

The CBI is investigating the arms licences scam ranging from 2012 to 2016 which was transferred to it by the Government of J&K in the year 2018. CBI registered two FIRs RCCHG0512018S0006 and RCCHG0512018S0007.

In September, 2024, the Division Bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan (since retired) impleaded CBI as a party respondent.

The CBI, in its detailed status report, divulged that from 2012 to 2016, various District Magistrates in J&K, in lieu of monetary considerations in connivance with arms dealers, judicial clerks and middlemen issued 2.63 lakhs arms licences to non-deserving persons in contravention of Arms Act and the rules framed thereunder. The investigating agency (CBI), after completion of investigation in both the FIRs, sought prosecution sanction against more than 9 IAS officers, who in their capacity as District Magistrates in J&K, issued arms licences to the non-deserving persons.

So far, the Government of India has granted prosecution sanction only against one IAS officer and chargesheet or challan has been filed against him in the designated CBI court. The Government of J&K in March, 2021 granted prosecution sanction against the JKAS officers, allegedly involved in the arms licences scam. More than 15 charge-sheets have been filed by the CBI in the matter in both the designated courts at Jammu and Srinagar. DSGI Vishal Shamra appeared for the Union of India in the matter.