Rajasthan HC notice to state govt over RTI activist's arms licence

The Rajasthan High Court Thursday issued notices to the Home Department of the state government and the Bikaner district magistrate and the Superintendent of Police over an arms licence application of an RTI activist pending for five years.

A single bench of Justice P S Bhati issued the notices, seeking response by April 22.

Bikaner-based RTI activist Goverdhan Singh had applied for the arms licence before the district magistrate (DM) on December 4, 2014, citing threat to his life, his counsel Rajak Haider said.

However, the DM sat on the application despite no objection from any competent authority, Haider alleged.

He said neither was Singh granted the licence nor provided any security despite the court's direction on February 17, 2012 to provide him adequate security.

"There were repeated directions regarding his security in May, July and August 2018," the petitioner's counsel said, alleging that the government grossly neglected the directions.

Haider said that as per the law, the application for an arms licence is required to be disposed of within 60 days of applying under the Arms Rules, 2016.