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Tuesday, Jan 09, 2007
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Why do you need arms?

Legal Correspondent

Supreme Court asks Shahabuddin

Even CRPF doesn't have night vision device 52 criminal cases against him

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Mohd. Shahabuddin, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP, to explain how he was in possession of sophisticated arms and ammunition.

It was not a normal case of keeping firearms, the court said hearing his bail petition in the case of recovery of arms and ammunition from his residence in Siwan district in Bihar. "There was a telescopic device, bulletproof jackets, etc," said a Bench consisting of Justices G.P. Mathur and Lokeshwar Singh Panta, and wanted to know from counsel whether the accused had a licence. Pointing out that about 1,000 cartridges were recovered from the accused, the Bench asked: "Are you [Shahabuddin] a member of the armed forces and under what authority have you been keeping these? You are not [part of] security personnel. You do not require all these. You are a people's representative and do you need 1,000 cartridges?"

When counsel said Mr. Shahabuddin faced a threat from CPI (ML), the Bench said: "It is extraneous. By virtue of being an MP, are you entitled to keep these weapons, including a night vision device, when even the police, CRPF and other security agencies do not have it and only the army possesses it?"

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