Karnataka HC notice to govt over arms licence exemption for Kodavas

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the State and Central Governments, following a PIL which questioned the Constitutional validity and legality of the exemption granted to Kodavas from the requirement to obtain licence to carry and possess firearms, as required under the provisions of the Indian Arms Act. 

Hearing the petition filed by an ex-Army officer on the grounds that exemption is unconstitutional, as it creates differentiation based on race/caste and ancestral land tenure, a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued the notice.Capt YK Chethan (retd) of Galibeedu village of Madikeri taluk, questioned the notification dated October 29, 2019, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs exempting “Every person of Coorg race and every Jamma tenure-holder in Coorg” from some of the provisions of the Arms Act, 1959, till October 31, 2029.