18.  Appeals-(1) Any person aggrieved by an order of the licensing authority refusing to grant a licence or varying the conditions of a licence or by an order of the licensing authority is subordinate, suspending or revoking a licence may prefer an appeal against that order to such authority (hereinafter referred to as the appellate authority) and within such period as may be prescribed:

Provided that no appeal shall lie against any order made by, or under the direction of the Government.

(1)  No appeal shall be admitted if it is preferred after the expiry of the period prescribed therefore:

Provided that an appeal may be admitted after the expiry of the period prescribed therefore if the appellant satisfies the appellate authority that he had sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within that period.

(3) The period prescribed for an appeal shall be computer in accordance with the provision of the Indian Limitation Act, 1908 (9 of 1908), with respect to the computation of periods of limitation there under .

(4) Every appeal under this section shall be made by a petition in writing ahs shall be accompanied by a brief statement of the reasons for the order appealed against where such statement has been furnished to the appellant and by such fee as may be prescribed.

(5) In disposing of an appeal the appellate authority shall follow such procedure as may be prescribed :

Provided that no appeal shall be disposed of unless the appellant has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

(6) The order appealed against shall, unless the appellate authority conditionally or unconditionally directs otherwise, be in force pending the disposal of the appeal against such order.

(7) Every order of the appellate authority confirming, modifying or reversing the order appealed against shall be final.

COMMENTS

When an order for revocation or suspension of the arms licence is ‘issued’, the limitation period for filing an appeal well-in-time is "thirty days from the date of ‘service’ of such an order" [Chhatrapal v. The Collector, Fatephur & Anr; AIR 1989 All. 73f (75)].