Judgement

VARADARAJAN, J.:- These Criminal Appeals by special leave are directed against the judgment of a learned single Judge of the Gujarat High Court (C. V. Rane, J.) in Criminal Revn. Appln. No. 462 of 1973 and Criminal Appeal No. 593 of 1973. Thavardas Parasram and Prabhakar Devram, accused Nos. 1 and 2 respectively, are appellants in Criminal Appeal No. 153 of 1975. Bhugdomal Gangaram and Gulabji Jesangji, accused Nos. 3 and 6 respectively, are appellants in Criminal Appeal Nos. 77 of 1975 and 78 of 1975 respectively. Shyamsunder Parbhuram, accused No. 5, is appellant in Criminal Appeal No. 109 of 1975. These five accused and Mohan Harromal and Chandubhai Jivabhai Thakur, accused Nos. 4 and 7 respectively, were tried by the learned Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Matar in his Camp Court, Ahmedabad for offences under Sections 65 (a) (d) (e), 66 (1) (b) and 91 of the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949.

2. The fourth accused Mohan Hairomal died before he could be examined under Section 342 of the old Code of Criminal Procedure. The learned Magistrate acquitted accused 3, 6 and 7 of the entire charge framed under Sections 65 (a) (d) (e) and 66 (1) (b) and 81 and accused 1, 2 and 5 of