{"id":213264,"date":"2019-04-05T09:30:39","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T04:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=213264"},"modified":"2019-04-08T15:36:56","modified_gmt":"2019-04-08T10:06:56","slug":"del-hc-possession-under-s-25-arms-act-is-to-be-backed-by-mental-element-to-make-it-the-requisite-conscious-possession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/04\/05\/del-hc-possession-under-s-25-arms-act-is-to-be-backed-by-mental-element-to-make-it-the-requisite-conscious-possession\/","title":{"rendered":"Del HC | “Possession” under S. 25 Arms Act is to be backed by mental element to make it the requisite “conscious possession”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Delhi High Court:\u00a0<\/strong>Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, J., quashed an FIR registered against the petitioner under Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1959 for being found in possession of a live\u00a0cartridge at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.<\/p>\n

The petitioner was travelling from New Delhi to Canada by China Southern Airlines. During the course of screening, one live cartridge was detected inside his check-in baggage. Pursuant to the same, the aforesaid FIR was registered. The petitioner prayed for quashing of the FIR.<\/p>\n

The petitioner, represented by Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Abhik Kumar, Suryadeep Singh and Rinku Mathur, Advocates, submitted that he held a valid Arms License. Furthermore, while packing his jacket, the petitioner failed to notice that one cartridge had been left in it which was detected at the Airport. Per contra, Rajesh Mahajan, Additional Standing Counsel for the State opposed the present petition.<\/p>\n

Relying, inter alia, on\u00a0Gunwantlal v. State of M.P.,\u00a0<\/em>(1972) 2 SCC 194<\/a> and\u00a0Sanjay Dutt v. State,\u00a0<\/em>(1994) 5 SCC 410<\/a>, the High Court stated:\u00a0“With respect to the issue of ‘conscious possession’\u00a0<\/em>, it is settled law that the expression ‘possession’ under Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1959 refers to possession backed with the requisite mental element, that is, ‘conscious possession’.\u00a0<\/em>Mere custody without the awareness of the nature of such possession does not\u00a0constitute an offence under the Arms Act, 1959.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Holding that the requisite mental element was not present in the present case, the Court quashed the FIR registered against the petitioner. However, costs of Rs 20, 000 was imposed on him for his casual attitude which set in motion the entire state machinery.[Davinder Singh Dhindsa v. State (NCT of Delhi), 2019 SCC OnLine Del 7895<\/b><\/a>, decided on 01-04-2019]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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punishable under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of Arms Act, 1959, wherein it held that, \u201cThe possession of the ammunition was unconscious and there was no threat to anyone.\u201d In the present\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":248388,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2021\/05\/18\/arms-act\/","url_meta":{"origin":213264,"position":1},"title":"Del HC | If a firearm is recovered from possession of a person at the airport which he\/she is unaware of can the person be punishable under S. 25 of Arms Act? 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Instant matter was filed with regard to the quashing of an FIR registered at the police station \u2013 I.G.I Airport for the offences punishable under Section\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":343572,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/03\/13\/delhi-high-court-quashes-fir-conscious-possession-pilot-legal-news\/","url_meta":{"origin":213264,"position":2},"title":"\u201cNo ‘conscious possession’ of ammunition\u201d: Delhi High Court quashes FIR against pilot trainee but imposes cost for lack of vigilance","author":"Arunima","date":"March 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The petitioner contended that he was undergoing training in South Africa to become a commercial pilot and was sharing a dormitory with other students who frequently borrowed his baggage for trips to shooting ranges for target practice.","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Delhi High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Delhi-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Delhi-High-Court.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Delhi-High-Court.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Delhi-High-Court.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":215038,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/05\/27\/del-hc-charge-framed-under-s-30-of-arms-act-quashed-in-absence-of-conscious-possession-of-live-cartridge\/","url_meta":{"origin":213264,"position":3},"title":"Del HC | Charge framed under S.30 of Arms Act quashed in absence of “conscious” possession of live cartridge","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"May 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Delhi High Court:\u00a0Sanjeev Sachdeva, J. allowed a petition filed against the order of farming of charge, whereby the petitioner was charged for having committed an offence punishable under Section 30 of the Arms Act for violating conditions of the license. The petitioner was a resident of Noida, UP. He held\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":264206,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2022\/03\/24\/arms-licence\/","url_meta":{"origin":213264,"position":4},"title":"If you are found in possession of live ammunition along with a valid arms licence, can an offence under S. 25 of Arms Act still be registered against you? 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