Patna High Court

Dr. Kumar Rajesh RanjanversusThe State of Bihar

Decided: 16 February 2026
Disposal: DISPOSED
Bench: ANIL KUMAR SINHA

Holding

The District Magistrate must decide the petitioner’s gun‑license application and pass a final order within two months.

Summary

Dr. Kumar Rajesh Ranjan, a practicing doctor, applied for a gun license in March 2022 due to threats and extortion attempts by anti‑social elements. Despite filing the application with the District Magistrate, no decision was made for about four years, endangering his life and property. The petitioner filed a writ petition seeking a direction to the licensing authority to decide the application. The State argued that the licensing authority should be directed to take a final decision within a reasonable time. The Court held that the District Magistrate must consider the application and pass a final decision within two months from the date of the order. Consequently, the writ petition was disposed with the said direction.

Issues considered

Whether the prolonged delay in deciding the petitioner’s gun‑license application violates his right to life and security.
Whether the District Magistrate, as the licensing authority, can be directed by the court to decide the application within a specific time frame.

Subjects

gun license
arms licensing
writ petition
delay
right to life
security
extortion
licensing authority

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                                Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.16314 of 2025
                 ======================================================
                 Dr. Kumar Rajesh Ranjan Son of Shri Ram Dayal Sharma, Resident of Flat
                 No. 101, Indra Kamla Plaza, Magistrate Colony Road, Near Shyamal
                 Hospital, Khajpura, B.V. College, Patna. Permanent residing at Maa Panbata
                 Sadan, Near Sonbarsa Garden, Magistrate Colony Road, Ashiyana-Digha
                 Road, Patna, P.S.- Rajeev Nagar, District- Patna.

                                                                             ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                    Versus
           1.    The State of Bihar through the Additional Principal Secretary, Department of
                 Home, P.S.- Sachivalya, District- Pana, Government of Bihar, Patna.
           2.    The Director General of Police, P.S.- Shashtri Nagar, District- Patna,
                 Government of Bihar, Patna.
           3.    The Commissioner, Patna Division, P.S.- Gandhi Maidan, District- Patna,
                 Patna Division, Patna.
           4.    The District Magistrate, P.S.- Gandhi Maidan, District- Patna, Patna.
           5.    The Senior Superintendent of Police, P.S.- Gandhi Maidan, District- Patna,
                 Patna.
           6.    The Deputy Superintendent of Police-cum-S.D.P.O.-2 (Law and Order),
                 P.S.- Rajiv Nagar, District- Patna, Patna.
           7.    The S.H.O-cum-Officer Incharge, Rajeev Nagar Police Station, District-
                 Patna, Patna.

                                                           ... ... Respondent/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s   :       Mr. Ashok Kumar, Advocate
                                                Mr. Ajay Kumar, Advocate
                                                Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar, Advocate
                 For the Respondent/s   :       Mr. Navnit Kumar, AC to GP-18
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KUMAR SINHA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   16-02-2026                   Heard learned counsel for the parties concerned.

                                 2. Mr. Ashok Kumar, learned counsel for the

                   petitioner, submits that the petitioner is a practicing doctor

                   and has been running Satyadev Multi-specialty Hospital

                   along with his wife, who is also a medico. The criminals
Patna High Court CWJC No.16314 of 2025(2) dt.16-02-2026
                                           2/3




          and anti-social elements have been threatening the

          petitioner and his wife and have also been demanding

          extortion. In this regard, Rajeev Nagar P.S. Case No. 171 of

          2024 and Rajeev Nagar P.S. Case No. 460 of 2024 have

          been lodged by the petitioner against the said anti-social

          elements. The life and property of the petitioner and his

          family members are in danger. Accordingly, the petitioner

          applied for a gun license before the Licensing Authority

          (Respondent No. 4) on 07.03.2022. However, despite the

          lapse of about four years, no order has been passed on the

          said arms license application of the petitioner.

                      3. Learned counsel for the State submits that the

          Licensing Authority may be directed to take a final decision

          on the petitioner’s application for grant of arms license

          within a reasonable time frame.

                      4. Considering the submissions made by the

          parties and the nature of prayer made in the writ

          application, the Licensing Authority, i.e., the District

          Magistrate, Patna, is directed to consider the application

          filed by the petitioner for grant of arms license and take a
           Patna High Court CWJC No.16314 of 2025(2) dt.16-02-2026
                                                      3/3




                     final decision within a period of two months from today.

                                   5. With the aforesaid observation and direction,

                     this writ application stands disposed of.



                                             (Anil Kumar Sinha, J)
Siwani/-

U

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