GAUHATI HIGH COURT
N.Surjamani Singh, J.
Sibanath Singh -Appellant
Versus
State of Assam -Respondent
Criminal Revision No. 245 of 1998
Decided On : 10-04-2001
CrPC - Revision petition against conviction under Prevention of Food Adulteration Act - Section 7/16 - Summary of Acts and Sections: Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, Section 13(2) - The court discussed the provisions of section 13(2) of the Act, emphasizing the requirement for serving a notice to the accused and the right to apply for analysis of the food sample by the Central Food Laboratory. The court interpreted the provision as directory, not mandatory, but emphasized that total non-compliance would be fatal to the prosecution. The court found that the authority's action amounted to denial of the petitioner's right to make an application to the Court, leading to the setting aside of the impugned judgments of conviction and sentence.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner was convicted for storing and selling 'Laddu' colored with prohibited coal tar color metanil yellow under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The complaint was based on the analysis of the food sample by the Public Analyst, and the petitioner was convicted by the trial Court and the first appellate Court.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the impugned judgments of conviction and sentence were not tenable in the eye of law due to the authority's denial of the petitioner's right to make an application to the Court, as required under section 13(2) of the Act. The court held that the action of the authority amounted to total non-compliance of the provisions, leading to the setting aside of the impugned judgments.
Issues: The issues revolved around the compliance with section 13(2) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, and the denial of the petitioner's right to make an application to the Court for analysis of the food sample by the Central Food Laboratory.
Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was based on the interpretation of section 13(2) of the Act, emphasizing the requirement for serving a notice to the accused and the right to apply for analysis of the food sample by the Central Food Laboratory. The court held that the authority's action amounted to denial of the petitioner's right, leading to the setting aside of the impugned judgments of conviction and sentence.
Final Decision: The revision petition was allowed, setting aside the impugned judgments of conviction and sentence, and the petitioner was acquitted from the charges.
2. A complaint was lodged by one Food Inspector, Jorhat stating that he had collected sample of 'Laddu' from the accused-petitioner after due compliance of required legal formalities and the sample was sent to the Public Analyst who in turn analysed the sample and sent a report with the opinion that the sample of 'Bundiya Laddu' contains non-permitted coal-tar colour metanil yellow and accordingly, the sanction was accorded by the Chief Medical and Health Officer, Jorhat to prosecute the vendor namely, the present petitioner as well as the owner of the hotel namely, Sri Biswanath Singh.
3. Upon hearing the parties, the learned trial Court found the present accused-petitioner guilty for the offence punishable under sections 7/16 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and, acquitted the owner of the hotel Sri Biswanath Singh under the impugned judgment and order dated 15.7.1992. Hence, the petitioner herein preferred an appeal before the learned first appellate Court and the first appellate Court also did not interfere with the findings of the learned trial Court c thus, affirming the order of conviction and sentence passed by the learned trial Court and, being aggrieved by the impugned judgment dated 16.3.1993 passed by the learned first appellate Court, the petitioner herein preferred this criminal revision.
4. At the very outset, Mrs B. Dutta, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the learned Courts below had misappreciated rather misconceived the provisions of law laid down under section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, herein after referred to as the Act of 1954 inasmuch as, the petitioner has not been served a copy of the report of the result of Analysis and he has not been informed that if he desires so, he may make an application to the Court within a period of 10 (ten) days from the date of receipt of the copy of the report to get sample of the article (Laddu) kept by the Local Health Authority analysed by the Central Food Laboratory at any point of time and, apart from it, the owner of the hotel namely, Sri Biswanath Singh was acquitted from the case and poor innocent employee of the hotel, like the accused-petitioner herein has been convicted and sentenced under the impugned judgment passed by the learned Courts below. At the hearing, Mr. Das, learned Public Prosecutor appearing for the State submitted that the Local Health Authority concerned had issued necessary notice and letter and the same was served to the petitioner as well as to the owner of the hotel namely, Sri Biswanath Singh and the same was duly received by the petitioner as well as the said owner of the hotel but, they did not apply to the Court within the prescribed period of 10 (ten) days as required under section 13 (2) of the Act of 1954. The learned Public Prosecutor also submitted that the postal receipt marked as Ext 11 and the AD card marked as Ext 12 show that the related notice/office letter dated 10.1.1989 issued by the Local Health Authority as required under section 13 (2) of the Act of 1954 was properly served to the petitioner and he has been duly inform
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