Jammu, November 6, 2026: In a significant development in the Jammu and Kashmir Arms Licence Scam, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has declined to entertain an intervention plea filed by two senior IAS officers in a long-pending Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to the multi-crore arms licence racket.
The application was filed by IAS officers Pandurang Kondbaroa Pole and Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, who had sought the court’s directions to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to consider their representations before taking a final decision on the proposal for prosecution sanction against them.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Rajnesh Oswal observed that there was no justification for issuing such directions, dismissing the application as withdrawn.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the court that it had completed its examination of the prosecution sanction proposal in consultation with the investigating agency and the Jammu and Kashmir Government and forwarded its opinion to the DoPT for a final decision.
Taking note of the submissions, the High Court directed the Centre to submit a comprehensive report detailing compliance with its previous orders.
The PIL, titled Sheikh Mohd. Shafi and Another versus Union of India and Others, has been listed for further hearing on December 23, 2026.
The latest proceedings have brought renewed focus on the long-pending investigation and the prosecution sanction process involving senior serving IAS officers.
