Uppara Veerendra vs State of Andhra Pradesh

Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2021 Supreme(AP) 1000

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI
Cheekati Manavendranath Roy, J.
Uppara Veerendra – Petitioner
Versus
State of Andhra Pradesh – Respondent
Criminal Petition Nos.2966, 3555, 3636, 3649, 3660, 3661, 3665, 3670, 3671, 3675, 3678, 3680, 3682, 3687, 3690, 3693, 3694, 3703, 3706, 3709, 3711, 3721, 3722, 3724, 3725, 3726, 3727, 3747, 3749, 3752, 3755, 3792, 3793, 3794, 3795, 3822, 3823, 3824, 3825, 3842, 3850, 3852, 3858, 3859, 3861, 3864, 3890, 3892, 3896, 3897, 3898, 3904, 3907, 3924, 3926, 3946, 3947, 3989, 4008, 4012, 4013, 4017, 4022, 4023, 4024, 4028, 4034, 4053, 4062, 4064, 4070, 4071, 4072, 4081, 4105, 4110, 4117, 4121, 4149, 4167, 4169, 4199, 4230, 4249, 4274, 4276, 4280, 4293, 4296, 4302, 4303, 4413, 4434, 4462, 4467, 4473, 4493, 4498, 4515, 4539, 4570, 4575, 4608, 4610, 4613, 4643, 4644, 4645, 4667, 4737, 4756, 4762, 4830, 4892, 4899, 4928, 4939, 4980, 4981, 5011, 5024, 5046, 5158, 5201, 5226, 5298, 5301, 5346, 5713 and 5925 of 2021
Decided On : 28-12-2021

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioner: E Anjana Reddy

Headnote:
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act - Sections 8(a), 8(c) r/w. 20(b)(ii),(B) - A.P. Prohibition Act -Sections 7(A) r/w.8(E) - A.P. Excise Act - Sections 34(1)(i), 34(a) - Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 - Sections 55, 57, 57(2), 58 and 59 - Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 - Sections 5(1), 6(a), 6(b), 7, 20, 22, 24(1) - Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Sections 188, 269. 272, 273, 328, 420 r/w.34 - Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 - Section 482 - Gutka, Pan Masala and tobacco - Validity of registration - Seeking quash of F.I.Rs. - All the above crimes shown in Table-I to Table-III were registered primarily on ground that products like Gutka, Pan Masala and tobacco are either being transported, sold or stored by the petitioners contrary to the provisions of COTPA and FSS Act - Held, Chewing tobacco is food under Section 3(1)(j) of FSS Act, I regret to express my inability to persuade myself to agree with the said view that chewing tobacco is a food within definition of Section 3(1)(j) of FSS Act - Therefore, when the facts of case do not constitute any offence under the provisions of the FSS Act, launching of criminal proceedings by way of registering F.I.Rs. relating to manufacture, sale, storage or transportation of the said chewing tobacco amounts to abuse of process of Court. Therefore, F.I.Rs. registered for said offences are liable to be quashed - Registered for offences punishable under provisions of IPC, FSS Act and COTPA alone. The Investigating Officers shall proceed with investigation in relation to the offences punishable under the provisions of A.P. Excise Act and A.P. Prohibition Act relating to the F.I.Rs. shown in Table-II - Criminal Petition partly allowed.

ORDER :

This batch of Criminal Petitions under Section 482 Cr.P.C. are filed seeking quash of F.I.Rs. registered for the offences punishable under Sections 188, 269. 272, 273, 328, 420 r/w.34 of IPC; Sections 5(1), 6(a), 6(b), 7, 20, 22, 24(1) of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, (for short, the “COTPA”); Sections 55, 57, 57(2), 58 and 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, (for short, the “FSS Act”); Sections 34(1)(i), 34(a) of the A.P. Excise Act and Sections 7(A) r/w.8(E) of the A.P. Prohibition Act; and under Sections 8(a), 8(c) r/w. 20(b)(ii),(B) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, (for short, the “NDPS Act”).

2. For the sake of convenience, the F.I.Rs. registered only for the offences under the I.P.C., FSS Act and COTPA are shown in the following Table-I. The F.I.Rs. registered for the offences under IPC, FSS Act and COTPA, along with A.P. Excise Act and A.P.Prohibition Act are shown in Table-II and the F.I.Rs. registered for the offences under IPC, FSS Act and COTPA alongwith NDPS Act are shown in Table-III.

TABLE-I
(Cases under IPC, COTP Act and FSS Act)

Sl. No.

Crl. Petition No.

Crime No. & Name of P.S.

Array of accused

Offences allegedly committed

Nature of offence

1)

2966 of 2021

Cr.No.63 of 2021 of Halaharvi P.S., Kurnool Dt.

A1 & A2

U/Secs.188, 273 r/w. 34 of IPC

Transportation of banned gutka, pan masala packets

2)

3636 of 2021

Cr.No.163 of 2021 of Gudiwada I Town P.S., Krishna District

Sole accused

U/Secs.269, 270, 273 and 328 of IPC

Transportation of Khaini and Gutka packets.

3)

3649 of 2021

Cr.No.439 of 2021 of Kancharapalem P.S., Visakhapatnam District.

Sole accused

U/Ss.188, 269 of IPC; Sec.6(a), 6(b) r/w. 24(1) of COTP Act

Sale and transportation of Gutka and other banned tobacco products.

4)

3665 of 2021

Cr.No.128 of 2021 of Gurazala Town P.S., Guntur Dt.

Sole accused

U/Ss.188, 273 of IPC; Sec.57(2), 58 of FSS Act; and Sec.25(1),5(1) of COTP Act.

Sale of Gutka and other banned tobacco products.

5)

3678 of 2021

Cr.No.75 of 2021 of Naidupet P.S., SPSR Nellore District.

A1 & A2

U/Ss.272, 273 of IPC; Secs.20(1), 22 r/w.5(1) of COTP Act.

Sale of Gutka and other banned tobacco products.

6)

3680 of 2021

Cr.No.380 of 2020 of Naidupet P.S., SPSR Nellore District.

Sole accused

U/Ss.272, 273 of IPC; Sec.20(1), 22 r/w.5(1) of COTP Act.

Sale of Gutka and other banned tobacco products.

7)

3682 of 2021

Cr.No.128 of 2021 of Naidupet P.S., SPSR Nellore District.

A-1

U/Ss.272, 273 of IPC; Sec.20(1), 22 r/w.5(1) of COTP Act.

Possession of banned tobacco products.

8)

3687 of 2021

Cr.No.137 of 2021 of Mydukur P.S., YSR Kadapa

District.

A1 to A4

273 r/w.34 of IPC; Sec.20(2) of COTP Act.

Transportation of Gutka packets.

9)

3690 of 2021

Cr.No.189 of 2021 of Martur P.S., Prakasam District.

A1 to A3

U/S.20(2) of COTP Act.

Possession and sale of banned tobacco products.

10)

3694 of 2021

Cr.No.186 of 2021 of Badvel U/G P.S., YSR Kadapa District.

A1 to A3

U/Ss.188, 272, 273 r/w. 34 of IPC; Secs.7 and 20 of COTP Act.

Manufacture and transportation of tobacco products without any label.

11)

3703 of 2021

Cr.No.465 of 2020 of Pedakakani P.S., Guntur Urban

A2

U/Ss.286, 420 of IPC; Secs.20(1) r/w.7(2) of COTP Act.

Sale of prohibited tobacco products and possession of crackers without any license.

12)

3709 of 2021

Cr.No.6 of 2021 of Varikuntapadu P.S., SPSR Nellore District.

Sole accused

U/Ss.272, 273 of IPC; Secs.20(2), 22 r/w.5(1) of COTP Act.

Possession, distribution and sale of Gutka packets.

13)

3711 of 2021

Cr.No.197 of 2021 of Narasara

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Sl. No.	Crl. Petition No.	Crime No. & Name of P.S.	Array of accused	Offences allegedly committed	Nature of offence
1)	2966 of 2021	Cr.No.63 of 2021 of Halaharvi P.S., Kurnool Dt.	A1 & A2	U/Secs.188, 273 r/w. 34 of IPC	Transportation of banned gutka, pan masala packets
2)	3636 of 2021	Cr.No.163 of 2021 of Gudiwada I Town P.S., Krishna District	Sole accused	U/Secs.269, 270, 273 and 328 of IPC	Transportation of Khaini and Gutka packets.
3)	3649 of 2021	Cr.No.439 of 2021 of Kancharapalem P.S., Visakhapatnam District.	Sole accused	U/Ss.188, 269 of IPC; Sec.6(a), 6(b) r/w. 24(1) of COTP Act	Sale and transportation of Gutka and other banned tobacco products.
4)	3665 of 2021	Cr.No.128 of 2021 of Gurazala Town P.S., Guntur Dt.	Sole accused	U/Ss.188, 273 of IPC; Sec.57(2), 58 of FSS Act; and Sec.25(1),5(1) of COTP Act.	Sale of Gutka and other banned tobacco products.
5)	3678 of 2021	Cr.No.75 of 2021 of Naidupet P.S., SPSR Nellore District.	A1 & A2	U/Ss.272, 273 of IPC; Secs.20(1), 22 r/w.5(1) of COTP Act.	Sale of Gutka and other banned tobacco products.
6)	3680 of 2021	Cr.No.380 of 2020 of Naidupet P.S., SPSR Nellore District.	Sole accused	U/Ss.272, 273 of IPC; Sec.20(1), 22 r/w.5(1) of COTP Act.	Sale of Gutka and other banned tobacco products.
7)	3682 of 2021	Cr.No.128 of 2021 of Naidupet P.S., SPSR Nellore District.	A-1	U/Ss.272, 273 of IPC; Sec.20(1), 22 r/w.5(1) of COTP Act.	Possession of banned tobacco products.
8)	3687 of 2021	Cr.No.137 of 2021 of Mydukur P.S., YSR Kadapa
District.	A1 to A4	273 r/w.34 of IPC; Sec.20(2) of COTP Act.	Transportation of Gutka packets.
9)	3690 of 2021	Cr.No.189 of 2021 of Martur P.S., Prakasam District.	A1 to A3	U/S.20(2) of COTP Act.	Possession and sale of banned tobacco products.
10)	3694 of 2021	Cr.No.186 of 2021 of Badvel U/G P.S., YSR Kadapa District.	A1 to A3	U/Ss.188, 272, 273 r/w. 34 of IPC; Secs.7 and 20 of COTP Act.	Manufacture and transportation of tobacco products without any label.
11)	3703 of 2021	Cr.No.465 of 2020 of Pedakakani P.S., Guntur Urban	A2	U/Ss.286, 420 of IPC; Secs.20(1) r/w.7(2) of COTP Act.	Sale of prohibited tobacco products and possession of crackers without any license.
12)	3709 of 2021	Cr.No.6 of 2021 of Varikuntapadu P.S., SPSR Nellore District.	Sole accused	U/Ss.272, 273 of IPC; Secs.20(2), 22 r/w.5(1) of COTP Act.	Possession, distribution and sale of Gutka packets.
13)	3711 of 2021	Cr.No.197 of 2021 of Narasara

2021 Supreme(AP) 1000

Cases Referred (4)