The petitioner herein has been granted two licenses under the Arms Act, 1959, for a gun and a rifle respectively. These licenses are renewed from 14-10-1993. During the year 1994, he was directed to deposit the two fire arms with the Reserve Inspector of the Armed Reserve, Anantapur. He has surrendered the two licensed firearms accordingly. But however, when he has applied for further renewal of the licenses held by him, the 1st respondent Collector & District Magistrate, Anantapur, issued a show cause notice on 08-08-2002 proposing cancellation of his licenses. Hence, this writ petition is instituted.

2. The case of the petitioner is that he is resident of Chitrachedu Village, Peddavadaguru Mandal of Anantapur District and that he was a law-abiding citizen and that he was an active member of a recognized political party for more than two decades and all because of political reasons and considerations, the petitioner has been routinely and regularly implicated by the local police in one crime or the other and except in one case relating to Crime No.25 of 2002, which is booked under Section 324 r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code, in all other criminal cases he has been acquit