'Case of illegal possession of arms to be sternly' dealt'

Observing that proliferation of arms and ammunition vitiates the law-and-order situation, the Supreme Court on Thursday expressed displeasure over its subordinate judiciary treating offences of illegal possession of arms lightly.

"We are sorry to note the law enforcing agencies and to certain extent the courts in the country always treat the crimes lightly without noticing the havoc they can create to the ordinary peace loving citizens of this country and to the national security and the integrity and the unity of this nation," the bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said.

The court expressed surprise over how a man, caught with a country-made barrel gun with two bullets and 50 grams of explosives without any licence, was sentenced only to  seven  days of imprisonment while the minimum sentence prescribed in law is three years.

Holding that the Madhya Pradesh high court and the trial court had dealt with the case 'casually and lightly', the bench sentenced the accused Ayub Khan to three years of imprisonment.

"Proliferation of arms and ammunition, whether licensed or not, in the country disrupts the social order and development, vitiates law-and-order situation, directly contributes towards lethality of violent acts which needs to be curbed," the bench said.