Based on the provided legal document, here are the key points regarding the judgment in State of Kerala & Ors. vs. Unni & Anr.:

Validity of Rule 9(2) and Mens Rea - Rule 9(2) of the Kerala Abkari Shops (Disposal in Auction) Rules, 2002 was held to be unworkable and vague because it imposes a condition impossible to perform without specific guidelines on when ethyl alcohol content would exceed the limit, as fermentation depends on factors like climate and time. (!) (!) (!) (!) - A penal provision must be definite, and unless the statute explicitly states otherwise, the existence of mens rea (deliberate act) must be read into it; the Act or Rules do not indicate that exceeding the alcohol limit is a deliberate act but rather a result of nature. (!) - Since the rule was found to be ex facie unreasonable and unworkable, the Court struck it down. (!) (!)

Interpretation of Sections 56 and 57 of the Act - Violation of the rules may be intentional or unintentional, attracting Section 56 of the Act, whereas violation of Section 57 (adulteration) requires mens rea or actus reus (deliberate mixing of foreign ingredients). (!) - In cases where an extract of juice is subject to automatic fermentation, no mixing is required to increase ethyl alcohol content; thus, the State's claim that licensees deliberately mixed alcohol to increase potency was not established. (!) - Section 57 is a graver offence with higher punishment; if one act attracts two offences, the provision with higher punishment cannot be presumed to apply unless its specific ingredients are satisfied. (!) - Penal statutes must receive strict construction, and the principles of purposive construction apply only in exceptional cases. (!) (!) - The High Court was justified in holding that the ingredients of Section 57 were not attracted in this case, meaning the licensees were not guilty of adulteration. (!)

Consequences and Licence Renewal - If a licensee faces prosecution under Section 57, renewal of the licence would be denied, whereas renewal is permissible if prosecuted under Section 56. (!) (!) - The consequences of attracting Section 57 must be judged from the angle of licence renewal, as losing the right to carry on business is a disastrous consequence for a licensee. (!) (!)

Principles of Statutory Interpretation - Where two interpretations are possible regarding the workability of a statute, the one that leads to workability must be preferred (ut rest magis valeat quam pereat). (!) (!) (!) - A statute must be definite and not vague; where a statute is vague, it is liable to be struck down. (!) - The constitutionality of subordinate legislation is subject to stricter scrutiny than legislative acts, and it must conform to the legislative policy and not be contrary to the statutory scheme. (!) (!) - Unreasonableness of a statute is a ground for judicial review, and if a condition is impossible to perform, unreasonableness is presumed. (!) (!)