MAHENDRA SINGH vs STATE OF WEST BENGAL

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellant under Section 25(1)(a) of the Arms Act, 1959 for possession of arms without a license, affirming that the appellant had knowledge of the arms found in his almirah. However, the Court found insufficient evidence to sustain the conviction under Section 27 of the Arms Act. Considering the time elapsed since the offence and the absence of any sinister motive, the Court reduced the sentence to the time already served and imposed a fine instead.