Bengaluru: A French-made pistol that was stolen from a house 16 years ago has been returned to its owner by order of the High Court on Thursday. HK Lokesh, a resident of Ballupet in Sakleshpura of Karnataka's Hassan district, had filed an application challenging the action of not returning his pistol, even though two persons had been convicted for possessing a stolen pistol without a licence.
A bench headed by Justice Sivashankar Amarannavar, which heard the petition, issued notice to the police and ordered that the pistol should be handed over to the petitioner, who holds the licence. Salim Abid and Geeta Ramesh, who have been convicted under the Arms Act for illegally possessing the petitioner's pistol, have so far not filed any application claiming possession of the pistol. Moreover, the applicant has a licence to carry a pistol. Therefore, the trial court of Hassan directed that the pistol should be released to the petitioner.
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In 2007, Lokesh lodged a complaint of theft at Sakleshpur police station. The police, who investigated the matter, had submitted a C-summary report to the court. Meanwhile, a case was registered against the 2nd and 3rd respondents in the petition, namely Salim Abid and Geeta Ramesh on the charge of illegal possession of arms. Both the accused were also booked under the Illegal Arms Act. Petitioner's pistol was considered evidence in this case. In 2012, Lokesh submitted a request to the Sakaleshpur Circle Inspector to return his pistol.
The Circle Inspector had filed an application in the Hassan District Court to confirm the contention of the petitioner. After ascertaining the pistol stolen from Lokesh's house in 2007, the court instructed them to return the pistol to the petitioner. In the meantime, the police officials told the court that a pistol had been recovered in Geeta Ramesh's case and handed it over to judicial custody. In 2016, Lokesh filed a petition in the High Court questioning this. He requested that an instruction be given to returning the pistol. The bench, which allowed the petition, directed the police to return the pistol to the petitioner Lokesh. The application is hereby disposed of.
