1. - Aggrieved by the continuation of criminal proceeding for over two decades before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Tonk under various provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 ('the Act' for short), the petitioners have approached this court.

2. Briefly the facts of the case are that the petitioner No.1, M/s. Ambika Industries, was manufacturing oral and liquid drugs, under a licence granted under the Act. On 31-1-1987, a Drug Inspector visited M/s. Gautam Medicals, a retailer shop and purchased four samples of Analgin syrup, bearing batch No.AML-412. The said syrup was manufactured in April,1985 and was due to expire in March,1988. The Inspector not only sealed four samples, but also took signatures of Mr.Dinesh Gautam, the Proprietor of M/s. Gautam Chemicals. The samples were sent to the Government Analyst at Jaipur. According to the report, dated 17-3-1987, the medicine did not match the standard quality. Thereafter, on 19-3-1987 and 2-5-1987, the Drug Inspector inquired from M/s. Dinesh Gautam the address from where the medicine was bought. Vide letter dated 27-5-1987, Mr. Dinesh Gautam informed the Drug Inspector that he had purchased the medicine from M/s. Prabha