BENGALURU: The High Court on Monday quashed the FIR against US national Thomas Jeffery Kidd, who was charged with carrying a live bullet in his bag.
KIA police registered the FIR on April 23. On Monday, Justice A N Venugopala Gowda quashed all proceedings against Kidd and directed that the Rs 10,000 deposited by him be refunded.
Justice Gowda observed that Kidd was not aware of the bullet lying in his bag, and his claim that it may have been left in the bag due to an oversight appeared bona fide as he had made no attempt to conceal the bullet at the airport. Justice Gowda said Kidd’s bag had passed through various airports between April 13 and 23, and nowhere was the bullet detected.
According to the FSL report dated June 23, the 0.22 caliber live cartridge can be fired up to a distance of 100 yards. “I am convinced that Kidd was not aware of the presence of the bullet in his handbag till it was detected by the CISF personnel during the screening of the handbag at Kempegowda International Airport and therefore, it was not a conscious possession,” Justice Gowda said.
He said there was no offence here under section 25(1-B)(a) of the Arms Act and section 10 of the Aircraft Act.
Kidd, who is from North Carolina, is a system administrator holding a certificate to train National Rifle Association (NRA) safety officers on certified muzzle-loading rifles, pistols, rifles and short guns.
He had come to the city to teach some new team members of Cisco Systems. He stayed at a hotel on Old Airport Road from April 14 to 23.
After completing the training programme, he went to the Kempegowda International Airport on April 23 to return to the United States. But the bullet was found in his cabin baggage during screening. CISF detained him and seized his passport before lodging a complaint with the local police. Kidd was released on bail after he executed a personal bond for `20,000 apart from offering Rs 10,000 cash security.
‘Road Widening Issue Settled’
The counsel of Indrakshi Devi, the fourth daughter of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, on Monday informed the High Court that the Supreme Court had settled the issue with regard to widening of the Ramana Maharshi Road, which lies parallel to Palace Grounds, last November.
The counsel said the apex court had given the green signal to widening the road subject to the condition of giving Transfer of Development Rights to the royal family according to the TDR rules.
The High Court was hearing an interlocutory application filed by Indrakshi Devi saying that the contention of the state government and the BBMP that the widening issue was still pending in the SC was false.