Five years on, court acquits man ‘held with 80 cartridges’

A local court has acquitted Kulwinder Kala in a five-year-old Arms Act case after the prosecution failed to prove the charges. The police had registered the FIR after he was allegedly arrested with 80 cartridges on June 3, 2020.

The police said that ASI Dilbar Singh, along with other police officials, were on patrolling duty near Sham Fashion Mall, Sector 34, Chandigarh, when he received a tip-off from an informer that Kulwinder was carrying a pistol and cartridges. The informer also said that he had gone somewhere after parking his car at the backside of Helix Institute parking.

Acting upon the information, the police searched his car and found 50 cartridges in one box and 25 more from another one. Five more were found when the police frisked him. The police claimed that the accused failed to produce any licence or permit for the same.

Vivek Kathuria, counsel of the accused, argued that the mandatory prosecution sanction had also not been obtained by the police in the case registered under the Arms Act.

Besides, there were contradictions in the statements of the witnesses. After hearing the arguments the court acquitted the accused of the charges.