JUDGEMENT

R.M. Lodha, J. —

Leave granted.

2.In these three appeals, by special leave, the core question that arises for consideration is, whether the Additional Commissioner of Customs, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi (Respondent no. 3) was justified in detaining two duly licensed firearms which the appellant brought from United States of America (USA) on transfer of his residence into India.

3.The appellant—an Indian citizen—went to USA for further studies in 1984. He graduated in Computer Science from Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, USA and worked with a Medical Instrumentation firm there. He holds licences for the possession of three firearms, namely, (1) Walther PPKS SNW007450 (NPB Pistol) (2) NPB Rifle and (3) DBBL Gun under the Arms Act, 1959 (for short, ‘1959 Act’) and the Arms Rules, 1962 (for short, ‘1962 Rules’). Before coming to India, he is said to have consulted the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, USA with regard to these firearms and he was told that he was allowed to take his personal firearms to India provided he held valid Indian firearms licences. The appellant, accordingly, brought the aforesaid three firearms with him on transfer of his resid