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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
S.V. PINTO
State Of Gujarat - Thro' P R Panchal, Food Inspector – Appellant
Versus
Rana Harivadan Shanabhai-Distributor Of Tulja Provision Stor – Respondent
JUDGMENT :
S.V. Pinto, J.
1. This appeal has been filed by the appellant – State under Section 378(1)(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Code’) against the impugned judgment and the order passed by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Padra (hereinafter referred to as ‘the learned Trial Court’) in Criminal Case No.4109 of 1993 on 28.07.2021, whereby, the learned Trial Court has acquitted the respondent – accused from the offences punishable under Sections 2(ia)(a)(b)(c), 7(i), 7(v) and 16(1)(i-a)(2) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the PFA Act’) and Rule-29 of the Food Adulteration Rules, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as the “FA Rules”).
1.1. The respondents are hereinafter referred to as ‘the accused’ as they stood in the rank and file in the original case, for the sake of convenience, clarity and brevity.
2. The relevant facts leading to filing of the present appeal are as under :
2.1. On 18-08-1993, at around 10.15am, Punamchand Revabhai Panchal, Food Inspector, Vadodara, went to “Tulja Provision Store” situated in Marcha Gali, at Padra, and found the accused no.1 Harivadhan Shanabhai
Acquittals in criminal cases can only be overturned if the trial court's decision is manifestly erroneous or lacks legal justification; the prosecution must prove compliance with statutory requiremen....
In criminal appeals against acquittal, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, which must establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt; failure to adhere to sampling procedures can lead to acquitta....
An acquittal will not be disturbed unless compelling errors are evident; the presumption of innocence heavily favors the accused in such cases.
The prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused's product was intended for human consumption, and failure to comply with mandatory procedural rules can lead to acquittal.
In criminal appeals, acquittals should not be overturned unless substantial evidence indicates manifest error, upholding the presumption of innocence.
In acquittal appeals, the presumption of innocence remains until proven otherwise, and intervention is only warranted when the lower court's decision is perverse or illegal.
In acquittal appeals, a Court cannot disturb findings if multiple reasonable conclusions arise, reinforcing the presumption of innocence for the accused.
Compliance with mandatory sampling protocols is crucial under food safety laws; lapses in procedure undermine prosecution's burden of proof, potentially leading to acquittal.
The presumption of innocence and the requirement for compelling reasons to interfere with an acquittal were central legal principles established in the judgment.
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