New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the mechanism for sale of non-service pattern weapons (NSPs) must be under ‘strict’ scrutiny and supervision of the authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Arms Act.
A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur disposed of a PIL filed in 2007 alleging that a racket was being run by some army officers and bureaucrats by illegally procuring and selling NSP weapons from Central Ordnance Depot, Jabalpur. “We reiterate the sentiment expressed in the orders passed by this Court from time to time to ensure that the mechanism for sale of NSP weapons must be under strict scrutiny and supervision of the Competent Authority in accord with the provisions of the Arms Act and the Rules framed there under including the Defence Services Regulations without any exception,” a bench, which also comprised justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. For their personal use, army personnel are issued weapons, known as NSP weapons, from ordnance depots. The petition filed by advocate Arvind Kumar Sharma had claimed that the scam had surfaced in 2007 when authorities in Rajasthan’s Ganganagar district noticed that several licences were issued to dubious persons, including terrorists, smugglers and rowdy elements, by local authorities without verification.
Sharma had said a probe by the government had exposed a larger racket in which several army officers, including those of the Major General rank, along with IAS and Rajasthan civil service officers, were allegedly found involved in the sale of NSP arms to dubious elements. The SC rejected Sharma’s submission that the department has taken a ‘lenient’ approach against erring army personnel and said the issue of ‘irregularities and illegalities’ committed by the concerned officers has been redressed by the appropriate authority by taking suitable action against them.
