IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 18.11.2025 CORAM:

THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA Arunkumar Malaichamy ...Petitioner Vs.

1. The State of Tamil Nadu, Rep. by its Secretary, Home Department, St. George Fort, Chennai – 600 009.

2. The Commissioner of Police,, Office of the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police, Vepery, Chennai – 600 007. ...Respondents Writ Petition (Criminal) filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a Writ of Certiorarifed Mandamus to call for the records pertaining to the Impugned order, vide Rc.No.E3(2)/53/20471/2025 dated 03.10.2025 passed by the 2nd respondent and quash the same, consequently to direct the respondents to grant permission to purchase and possess arms and ammunitions as per the Import Permit granted by the National Rifle Association of India, dated 11.04.2025 within the time frame fixed by this Hon'ble Court.

For Petitioner : Mr.H.Manivannan and Ms.C.Celastina for Mr.S.Murugavel For Respondents : Mr.K.M.D.Muhilan, APP

ORDER

This Writ petition (criminal) has been filed seeking quashment of the order of the 2nd respondent bearing Rc.No.E3(2)/53/20471/2025 dated 03.10.2025 and to consequently, direct the respondents to grant permission to the petitioner to purchase and possess arms and ammunition, as per the Import Permit granted by the National Rifle Association of India, dated

11.04.2025.

2. The case of the petitioner is that he is a renowned shooter having ID.SHM0912198501 and he is a National Gold Medalist, holding a valid Arms License bearing No.579/996/F3 with All India validity, which is valid up to 31.12.2025. The petitioner won a Gold Medal in the 66th National Shooting Championship held at Bhopal and pursuant to the same, the National Rifle Association of India granted him import permit approval for importing additional arms on 30.03.2025, vide Import Permit bearing No.NRAI/IMPP/925/Q04052/2025. Thereafter, the petitioner made an application before the 2nd respondent seeking permission to purchase and possess two .22 LR Pistols, one .32 LR Pistol with conversion kit as additional weapons and 15000 numbers of .22 LR ammunition in his existing Arms License bearing No.579/996/F3. Upon receipt of the said application, the 2nd respondent, without conducting any enquiry and without affording sufficient opportunity to the petitioner, rejected the petitioner's claim, vide impugned non-speaking order dated 03.10.2025 bearing Rc.No.E3(2)/53/20471/2025. Challenging the same, the present petition has been filed.

3. When the matter was taken up for hearing, the learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that a similar issue has already been considered by this Court in W.P.No.37852 of 2024, wherein, a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court, vide order dated 10.01.2025, finding that the order under challenge is a cryptic order, had set aside the same and consequently directed the Commissioner of Police/the 2nd respondent therein to consider the request of the petitioner therein afresh and pass a detailed final order on its own merits.

4. Per contra, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents, though, did not dispute the above submission made by the learned counsel for the petitioner, however, submitted that, as against the impugned order passed by the 2nd respondent, there is an effective appeal remedy available before the State Government and without exhausting the said appeal remedy, filing the present writ petition (criminal) is not sustainable. Accordingly, he prayed for dismissal of this petition.

5. Heard the learned counsel on either side and perused the materials available on record.

6. Though very many grounds have been raised by the learned counsel on either side at the time of arguments, admittedly, the petitioner’s application seeking to grant permission to the petitioner to purchase and possess arms and ammunition has been rejected, vide impugned order, which is a non-speaking order and the same is bereft of