Chandigarh, March 18 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has acquitted a Faridkot man, 22 years after he was booked in an Arms Act case, as the court found that it could not be proved whether firearm was in working condition.

The high court bench of justice JS Bedi took note of the statement of a policeman who in his report had only referred to the examination of the trigger and in his cross-examination had categorically stated that he had not checked the "firing pin" nor mentioned anything in that regard in his report.

"... (in view of this) it cannot be said that the weapon allegedly recovered was a firearm in a working condition designed to discharge a projectile," the bench recorded while quashing the trial court orders.

The court...