[Citation : 2012(2) RLW 1013 (Raj.)]
(Rajasthan High Court)
Gauri Shanker & Ors. Vs. State of Rajasthan (Mehta, J.)
HON'BLE SANDEEP MEHTA, J.
Gauri Shanker & Ors.
Versus
State of Rajasthan
S.B. Criminal Misc. Petition No. 554 of 2009, decided on 12.10.2011
¼d½ cht vf/kfu;e] 1966] /kkjk 21 & QeZ ds Hkkxhnkjksa ds fo:) vfHk;kstu 'kq: djuk & QeZ ds ekeyksa ds nkf;Ro ckcr ifjokn esa izkFkhZx.k ds fo:) dksbZ vfHkdFku ugha & ykbZlsal fdlh vU; O;fDr ds uke Fkk tks QeZ ds fnu izfrfnu ds dk;Z ds fy, ftEesnkj ukekafdr fd;k x;k Fkk & vfHkfu/kkZfjr & QeZ ds Hkkxhnkjksa ;k dEiuh ds funsZ'kdksa dks QeZ }kjk fd;s x;s mYya?ku ds lEcU/k esa vfHk;ksftr djus ls iwoZ vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 21 dh okaNuh;rkvksa dks iw.kZ djuk vko';d gS & ifjokn esa leqfpr lkexzh ls lefFkZr fofufnZ"V izdFkuksa dk gksuk vko';d gS tks ;g n'kkZrk gks fd QeZ@dEiuh }kjk dkfjr vijk/k ds fy, vfHk;ksftr fd;s tkus dks dksbZ O;fDr fo'ks"k dSls ftEesnkj gS rFkk dSls mudk vfHk;kstu pkgk tk jgk gSA ¼in la[;k 9] 10] 16½
(b) Seeds Act, 1966, Sec. 15, 7/19, 6(B), 13, 14; Seeds Rules, Rule 24, 25, 26 — Not taking samples in accordance with mandatory provisions — Samples of `Kapas' were taken in a cloth bag — Got analysed from State Seeds Laboratory — Germination rate of seeds was found to be 58% as against the minimum requirement of 65% as such seeds were found of sub-standard quality — On the complaint trial court took cognizance against petitioners — Held — The samples were required to be taken in air-tight container so as to ensure that the samples of seeds are not affected by moisture — The procedure and manner of taking samples as prescribed in Sec. 15 of the Act and Rules 24, 25 and 26 of the Seeds Rules have not been followed — Violation of mandatory provisions of Rules — Vitiates the proceedings — Quashed.
Petitions allowed. (Paras 13 to 16)
¼[k½ cht vf/kfu;e] 1966] /kkjk 15] 7@19] 6¼[k½] 13] 14( cht fu;e] fu;e 24] 25] 26 & vkKkid izko/kkuksa ds vuqlkj uewus ugha ysuk & diM+s ds FkSys esa dikl ds uewus fy;s & jkT; cht iz;ksx'kkyk ls fo'ys"k.k djk;k & chtksa dh izLQqVu dh nj 65% dh U;wure okaNuh;rk ds eqdkcys 58% gksuk ik;k x;k bl izdkj cht fuEu Lrj dh fd'e ds ik;s x;s & ifjokn ij fopkj.k U;k;ky; us izkFkhZx.k ds fo:) laKku fy;k & vfHkfu/kkZfjr & cht ds uewus fMCcs cUn oLrq esa fy;k tkuk pkfg;s Fkk ftlls gok ikj ugha gks lds ftlls cht ds uewus ueh ls izHkkfor u gks lds & vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 15 rFkk cht fu;eksa ds fu;e 24] 25 o 26 esa fu/kkZfjr uewus ysus dh izfØ;k rFkk <ax dk vuqlj.k ugha fd;k x;k gS & fu;eksa ds vkKkid izko/kkuksa dk mYya?ku & dk;Zokgh dks nwf"kr djrk gS & vfHk[kf.Mr fd;kA ¼in la[;k 13 ls 16½
;kfpdk Lohdkj dhA
2. The facts necessary for disposal of the present miscellaneous petitions are set-out here-in-below. Two complaints were filed by the Seeds Inspector under the Seeds Act against the petitioners in the Court of the learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Raisinghnagar (for short, "the trial Court") on 25.10.2007 with the allegations that the Seed Inspector went to the premises of M/s. Rajasthan Seeds Store on 20.10.2007 and took samples of "Deshi" Kapas in Criminal Case No. 572/2007 and American Kapas in Criminal Case No. 573/2007 after making payment thereof. It is alleged that the seeds were got analysed from the State Seeds Laboratory, Durgapura, Jaipur, from where a report was received that the germination rate of the seeds was found to be 58% as against the minimum requirement of 65% as per the Seeds Act and as such the seeds were found to be of sub-standard quality. It has further been alleged in the complaint that subsequent to receipt of the report, the manufacturer Vishnu Seeds Company (of which the petitioners are also the partners) was also given a notice intimating the firm about the report of the Laboratory. The learned trial Court, on the basis of the said complaints, proceeded to take cognizance against the petitioners who are the partners of Vishnu Seeds Company by the order dated 29.10.2007. The petitioners assailed the said order dated 29.10.2007 by way of two separate revision petitions (Nos. 40/2008 and 41/2008) and in the revision petitions, a specific argument was raised that the mandatory provisions of the Seeds Act and the Rules framed thereunder regarding the manner in which the samples were to be taken, were not followed. Objection was also raised that the firm had already nominated one Brij Mohan as the responsible person for the performance of day to day affairs of the firm and the licence was also exclusively in the name of Shri Brij Mohan and as such the prosecution of the other partners of the firm, in absence of any allegation regarding their participation in the day to day affairs of the firm, was absolutely illegal. The learned Revisional Court observed that the objection which the petitioners wanted to raise before the revisional court was not taken before the trial court and as such the revisional court held that the order of the trial court could not be interfered with under Section 397 Cr.P.C. and consequently the revision petitions were dismissed filed by the petitioners vide impugned order(s) dated 21.11.2008.
3. Being aggrieved by the aforesaid orders, the petitioners have approached this Court under Section 482 Cr.P.C. for quashing of the cognizance orders and all the subsequent proceedings against them in the court of the learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Raisinghnagar for the violation of the Seeds Act.
4. Assailing the impugned orders passed by the learned trial Court and the revisional court, the learned counsel for the petitioners has raised three contentions; firstly, that the prosecution of the petitioners was not in accordance with law for the reason that whenever there is a prosecution of partners of a firm then it has to be averred in the complaint that the partners, who were sought to be prosecuted, were responsible for the its day to day affairs. It has been submitted that there is no allegation in the complaint as to how the petitioners were responsible for the conduct of affairs of the firm. Placing reli
Dhiraj Mal & Ors. vs. State of Rajasthan (2004(2) Cr.L.R. 1412) 15
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