(1) (a) A person lawfully possessing arms or ammunition may deposit them for safe custody with a dealer holding a licence in Form XIV or in a police station or, if he is a member of the armed forces of the Union, in a unit armoury.
(b) Before accepting the arms or ammunition for deposit otherwise than under Section 21(1), the dealer or officer-in-charge of a police station or unit armoury himself that they are possessed under a valid licence issued under the Act and these rules or under exemption from the need for such licence.
(c) Members of the armed forces of the Union may be allowed to keep their arms or ammunition in safe custody in a unit armoury only during the tenure of their service.
(2) Where the arms or ammunition have been deposited under sub-rule
(1), the dealer or the officer-in-charge of the police station or unit armoury shall--
(a) attach to each article deposited a card, easily distinguishable from that described in rule 46 (2) (a) showing the following :
Deposit for safe custody--
(i) Description (No. etc.) of article … … ….
(ii) Name and address of depositor … … ….
(iii) Particulars of licence/exemption . … … ….
(iv) Serial No. in register and date of deposit . … … ….
(v) Date of expiry of licence … … …. (vi) Date up to which deposited . … … ….
(vii) .............................................
Signature of depositor
(viii) .............................................
Signature of dealer or officer-in-charge 23 of police station/unit armoury.
(b) issue to the depositor a receipt containing the same particulars as in Clause (a); and
(c) on the same day send a copy of the receipt to the authority who granted the licence or renewed it last.
(3) (a) In the event of failure to get the licence renewed, the arms or ammunition shall continue to be possessed by the dealer on the authority of his licence in Form XIV or by the officer-in-charge of the police station or unit armoury; but, if the licence is not renewed for a period of 3 years after its expiry, the dealer or the officer-in-charge of the police station or unit armoury shall bring this to the notice of the District Magistrate for such action as he may consider necessary.
(b) The articles shall in no case be returned to the owner unless the licence to possess them is renewed or a new licence is obtained.
(5) The depositor may be charged a fee for the custody of the articles deposited at the following rates:
1. For each firearm ----- One rupee per year or portion thereof.
2. For every other weapon or package of ammunition------Rs. 25 per year or portion thereof.
Any extra charges for maintenance of the articles in good condition may be levied at such rates as may be fixed from time to time by the State Government.