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2023 Supreme(Gau) 504

IN THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (THE HIGH COURT OF ASSAM: NAGALAND: MIZORAM & ARUNACHAL PRADESH)
SUSMITA PHUKAN KHAUND, J.
Manoj Shrinath Maurya S/o Shrinath Maurya – Appellant
Versus
The State of Assam Represented by the Public Prosecutor, Assam – Respondents
Crl. Pet. 1225 of 2022
Decided on : 08-05-2023

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant :Mr. M.A. Sheikh Advocate
For the Respondents: Mr. R.R. Kaushik, (Addl. P.P.)

Headnote:

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 - Section 482, 397, 399 – Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Sections 353, 307, 379, 411, 420, 34, 120(B) - Disposal of seized areca nuts - Not suitable for human consumption - Petitioner challenging order passed by Additional Sessions Judge No. 3 directing disposal of seized areca nuts – Held, Report of I/O reveals that samples of supari were collected from seized stock of supari and opinion of food analyst on supari and samples of seized areca nuts in both trucks bearing registration is that areca nuts (supari) are not suitable for human consumption as per Food Safety and Standard Regulation - A report from District Agricultural Officer was called for, relating to supari, if supari is product of local area or a product from neighbouring countries or if supari is fit for human consumption - Petitioner is directed to file an appropriate petition before jurisdictional Court for zimma of seized supari and learned Court may pass an order to S.P. to dispose of seized supari/areca nuts, as per SOP for disposal of seized betel nuts - Petition disposed of.

JUDGMENT :

1. Heard Mr. M.A. Sheikh, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner as well as Mr. R.R. Kaushik, learned Addl. P.P. appearing for the State of Assam.

2. The petitioner Sri Manoj Shrinath Maurya Das has filed an application under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Cr.P.C for short) challenging the order dated 24.02.2022 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge No. 3, Nagaon in Criminal Revision No. 14(N)/2021 & Criminal Revision No. 15(N)/2021, directing disposal of the seized areca nuts in connection with Nagaon P.S. Case No. 2078/2021, under Sections 353/307/379/411/420/34/120(B) IPC (GDE No. 27, dated 02.09.2021). FIR dated 03.09.2021 reflects that on a tipoff a GDE No. 27, dated 02.09.2021 was registered and the police party led by S.I. Udayak Basumatary set up a naka checking in front of Nonoi P.P. and at around 10.40 P.M., two vehicles approaching from the Hojai side were stopped, but the vehicles sped past and also tried to plow the naka checking area swarmed by the patrolling party. The police party however intercepted the vehicles and during search recovered 118 bags of Burmese supari loaded in truck bearing registration no. AS-25-AC-5516 (10 wheeler truck) and 200 bags of suspected Burmese supari loaded in the truck bearing registration no. AS-02-E-5878(6 wheeler truck). When the drivers were asked to produce the documents they failed to produce the same. Both the trucks were seized by the informant S.I. Udyak Basumatary, in presence of witnesses and thereafter, Nagaon P.S. Case No. 2078/2021, under Sections 353/307/379/411/420/34/120(B) IPC was registered. The seizure lists are marked as Annexure-5 and 6 and the FIR is marked as Annexure-4.

3. It is submitted on behalf of the petitioner that he is a lawful attorney of Vinod Shreenath Maurya, the proprietor of Maa Kamakhya Traders, a sole proprietorship firm dealing in trading of dried areca nuts (Chikni Supari). The Firm is registered with GST Registration No. 18AJWPM708ILIZ7. The Annexure Nos. 1 and 2 respectively are the copies of the general power of attorney dated 20.08.2021 and the GST Registration Certificate. It is submitted that on 02.09.2021, the petitioner’s firm loaded 200 Bags of Dry Areca Nuts (II quality) weighing about 1400 KGs in the truck number AS-02-E-5871 to be dispatched from Hojai to Amingaon and the copy of the tax invoice dated 02.09.2021, along with E-way bills are marked as Annexure-3 along with this truck belonging to the petitioner. Another truck bearing registration no. AS-25-AC-5516 loaded with 118 bags of areca nuts was also seized by the police on 03.09.2021. The seized areca nuts are perishable in nature and so the petitioner has filed a petition for zimma of the same in the Court of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, (CJM for short), Nagaon and the learned CJM rejected the prayer for zimma of the areca nuts loaded in truck No. AS-02-E-5871 vide order dated 18.09.2021. Against this order, the petitioner has preferred the Criminal Revision Petition under Sections 397/399 of Criminal Procedure Code before the Sessions Judge, Nagaon, which was registered as Criminal Revision Case No. 15(N)/2021. With respect to the 118 Bags of Supari loaded in Truck No. AS-25-AC-5516, the owner Anil Kr. Jadav filed another Revision petition, which was registered as Criminal Revision Petition No. 14(N)/2021. The learned Additional Sessions Judge, who was in seisin disposed of both the petitions by a common judgment dated 29.10.2021 passed in Criminal revision Petition No. 15(N)/2021 by setting aside the order dated 18.09.2021 passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate and directing the I/O to hand over the custody of the areca nuts after proper verification and completing all the required formalities.

4. Despite, the order dated 29.10.2021, the concerned authority more particularly respondent No. 7 (I/O of Nagaon P.S. Case No. 2078/2021) did not comply with the Courts order dated 29.10.2021, which impelled the petition

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