JUDGMENT :

Umesh Chandra Sharma, J.

1. This writ petition has been instituted by the petitioner-arm licence holder to quash the arm licence cancellation order dated 17.02.1999 passed by the District Magistrate, Ghazipur/Licencing Authority and order dated 06.01.2004 passed by the Appellate Authority/Commissioner, Varanasi Region, Varanasi confirming the cancellation order.

2. In brief, facts of the case are that the petitioner is the resident of Village Jamuaon, Post Office Barsara, Police Station Karanda, District Ghazipur. He is a reputed person of his locality and he also possesses an arm licence of SBBL as Licence No.303/P/11 (SBBL No.15868). One Mithai Lal, active member of the naxali organization namely Bhartiya Communist Party (Male), Block Prabhari of the said organization, on 24.02.1997 lodged an FIR against the petitioner including six other persons. He wanted to spread the effect and influence of his organization in the concerned area to grab some property of the State Government with the help of other active members of the said organization, as a result, the villagers of the petitioner’s village made an application before the revenue authorities as well as police authoriti