1. - This is a petition filed under S.482, Code of Criminal Procedure, with a prayer for quashing of the proceedings pending in the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Patti, District Amritsar, in consequence of First Information Report No. 144, dated May 23, 1984, of Police Station Patti registered for offences under Ss.3K(viii), 17(1), 18(1)(c) read with S.24(1) of the Insecticides Act, 1968 and S.420, Indian Penal Code.

2. The facts as narrated in the petition, may be briefly recapitulated. A letter was addressed by the Chief Agricultural Officer, Amritsar, on April 19, 1984 to the Station House Officer, Patti stating that the Plant Protection Inspector had obtained a sample of a Pesticide having the trade name of Saturn 50 E.C. from the premises of the Firm Messrs Sharma Kheti Sewa Centre Patti. The sample, on analysis was found to possess higher active ingredient and, thus, the Pesticide was misbranded. Proceedings were, therefore, sought to be launched against Mohan Lal of the said Firm which had sold the misbranded Pesticide. On the basis of this letter First Information Report was registered and prosecution was launched in the Court of the Judicial Magistrate