HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
B. CHANDRA KUMAR, J.
CHENNAKESHA BANDAGE
VS.
STATE OF A. P.
Criminal Revision Case No. 1783 of 2008
Decided On : DECEMBER 4, 2009
Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 - Sections 27 (d) 27 (b) (ii), 28 28-A, 28 and 22 (3) – Criminal Procedure Code - section 391 - Surgical stores - rolled bandages - Drugs Control Laboratory - Criminal Revision has been filed challenging judgment in Criminal Appeal passed by learned I Additional Sessions Judge whereby and where under retrial of Criminal case has been ordered - learned counsel for petitioners relying on judgment of a case between The State submitted that ordering retrial by appellate Court is illegal - His main submission is that P. W Drug Inspector has not filed any notification duly notifying area under which he was authorized to discharge duties and in absence of any such notification entire proceedings become illegal and improper - learned Additional Public prosecutor did not dispute the legal position - brief facts of case are as follows petitioners herein are before trial Court - Drug Inspector are filed a complaint against petitioner to under Section 32 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act - for violation of Sections 18 (a) (i), 18 (c) 18-A, 18-B and Sections 24 and 22 (1) (CCA) punishable under Sections 27 (d) 27 (b) (ii), 28 28-A, 28 and 22 (3) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act – Held he was initially appointed as Drug Inspector for purpose of carrying out objects in drugs and Cosmetics Act however government has to issue a notification duly notifying area under which Inspector can discharge his duties - Since no such gazette notification was placed before courts below there is no G. O. notifying area under which P. W. 1 could discharge his duties - Thus admittedly in this case the relevant Gazette notifications have not been filed appointing P. W. 1 as Drug Inspector for purpose of carrying out objects in Drugs and Cosmetics Act to - This is a lacunae in prosecution case - No explanation has been given by prosecution as to why they could not file relevant G. Os. before the trial Court. No such notifications were also filed before the appellate Court. No petition was filed before appellate Court under section 391 of Cr. P. C. to adduce additional evidence - Prosecution has not given explanation for not filing those notifications before the Courts below - In circumstances order of retrial to fill up the gaps in prosecution case cannot sustain and accordingly impugned order is set Criminal Revision case is allowed.
( 2 ) THE learned Additional Public prosecutor did not dispute the legal position.
( 3 ) THE brief facts of the case are as follows: the petitioners herein are A-1, A-2 and A-3 before the trial Court. The Drug Inspector, mahabubnagar District are filed a complaint against the petitioner/a-1 to A-3 (Hereinafter referred as 'a-1 to A-3') under Section 32 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, for violation of Sections 18 (a) (i), 18 (c) 18-A, 18-B and Sections 24 and 22 (1) (CCA) punishable under Sections 27 (d) 27 (b) (ii), 28 28-A, 28 and 22 (3) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940. A-1 is m/s. Chennakesha Bandage and Guage Cloth mig. Tadipathri, Ananthapur District is a proprietary firm, A-2 is its proprietor and a-3 claimed to be proprietor of A-1 w. e. f. 21-5-2001 basing on G. P. A. from A-2. On 30-11-2000, the Drug Inspector inspected the surgical stores of the District Hospital, mahabubnagar in the presence of P. W. 2/ u. Rangaiah, Pharmacist of the said Stores and lifted rolled bandages of 10 cm x 4 m size without any label of A-1 firm. The samples were sent to Government Analyst, Drugs control laboratory, Hyderabad, and the remaining 387 dozens of 10 cm x 4 m size of rolled bandages were seized under Form 15. On 4-1-2001 the Drug Inspector issued notice under Section 18-A of the Act to P. W. 3 the then Medial Superintendent to disclose the name and address and other particulars of the persons from whom the said bandages were obtained. On 25-1-2000 he received a letter from P. W. 3 stating that those bandages were purchased from A-1 firm as per the instructions of the Commissioner of Andhra pradesh Vaidhya Vidhana Parishad (Hereinafter referred as 'a. P. V. V. P' ). The copies of the necessary documents were furnished on 12-2-2001. The Drug Inspector issued a notice under Section 18 (1), 18 (b) and 24 of the Act to A-1 firm to disclose the names and address of the person from whom the said bandages were obtained to furnish the records and to disclose the place where the said rolled bandages were manufactured. On 16-2-2001, the Drug Inspector received statistical report under Form No. 13 along with covering letter from the Government analyst, Drugs Control Laboratory, hyderabad, declaring that the said rolled bandages are not of standard quality for the reason that the sample does not meet the specification for rolled bandages as per schedule F (ii) of the Act. After following the required procedure, the charge sheet was filed.
( 4 ) IN order to prove their case, the prosecution has examined P. Ws. 1 to 5 and exs. P-1 to P-29 and material objects M. Os. 1 to 4 were marked. None were examined on behalf of the Accused but Exs. D-1 to D-4 were marked in their defence. The learned Judicial magistrate of First Class, Mahabubnagar found the accused guilty and convicted them as under:
"a-1 is sentenced to pay a fine of rs. 5,000/- in default A-2 its proprietor to suffer S. I. for a period of six months for the offences punishable under section 27 (b) (ii) read with Section 18 (c)of the Act. A-2 is sentenced to undergo s. I. for a period of one year and to pay a fine of Rs. 5,000/- in default to suffer S. I. for a period of six months for the offence punishable under Section 27 (b) (ii) read with Section 18 (c) of the Act
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