IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
R. N. Gurtu and A. N. Mulla, JJ.
MUNICIPAL BOARD, LUCKNOW - Appellant
Versus
BHAGWAN DAS - Respondents
Criminal Appeal 528 Of 1956
Decided On : 04/11/1958
PREVENTION OF FOOD ADULTERATION ACT, 1954 - SECTION 7 - ADULTERATED FOOD - INTERPRETATION - FOOD INSPECTOR - APPOINTMENT - U. P. PURE FOOD ACT, 1950 - RELEVANCE - LIMITATION ACT, 1908 - SECTION 12(2) - APPLICABILITY TO SECTION 417(4) OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 1973 - COMPUTATION OF PERIOD OF LIMITATION - TIME TAKEN IN OBTAINING COPIES OF JUDGMENTS - EXCLUSION.
Fact of the Case:
Bhagwan Das was convicted under Section 7 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, for selling adulterated kali Mirch to a Food Inspector. He appealed to the Sessions Judge, who acquitted him. The Municipal Board, through its Medical Officer of Health and Administrator, filed an application for special leave to appeal from the order of acquittal, which was challenged on the ground of limitation.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the application for leave to appeal was within limitation as the time taken in obtaining copies of the judgments of the trial court and the Sessions Judge was excluded under Section 12(2) of the Limitation Act, 1908. The court further held that the pepper sold by Bhagwan Das was not adulterated within the meaning of Section 2(i)(a) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, as there was no evidence that the admixture of empty shells of pepper could have any injurious effect when consumed.
Issues: 1. Whether the application for leave to appeal was barred by limitation. 2. Whether the pepper sold by Bhagwan Das was adulterated within the meaning of Section 2(i)(a) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. Section 12(2) of the Limitation Act, 1908, applies to the limitation prescribed by Section 417(4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, for filing an application for special leave to appeal from an order of acquittal. The time taken in obtaining copies of the judgments of the trial court and the Sessions Judge is excluded in computing the period of limitation. 2. The pepper sold by Bhagwan Das was not adulterated within the meaning of Section 2(i)(a) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, as there was no evidence that the admixture of empty shells of pepper could have any injurious effect when consumed.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the application for leave to appeal against the order of acquittal passed by the Sessions Judge.
( 1 ) ONE Bhagwan Das was convicted under Section 7, of the Prevention of Food Adulteration act, 1954 (Act No. XXXVII of 1954) and sentenced under Si 16 thereof to pay a fine of Rs. 200/- or to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of two months, the case against him being that he had sold adulterated kali Mirch to Sri B. C. Dass, Food Inspector, appointed under the said Act.
( 2 ) BHAGWAN Dass appealed to the learned Ses-sions judge who by his order dated 10-8-1956 allowed the appeal and set aside the conviction and sentence of Bhagwan Dass. The Municipal board through its Medical Officer of Health and the Administrator who was complainant in the case preferred an application under Section 417 (3), Cr. P. C. for special leave to appeal from the order of acquittal. This application was made on 17-10-1956. Along with the application were filed copies of the judgments of the learned Magistrate and of the learned Sessions Judge. When this application for leave was taken up before us learned counsel for the opposite party contended that the application was filed beyond the period of limitation of 60 days from the date of the order of acquittal of the Sessions Judge as pre scribed by Section 417 (4) of the Code of criminal Pro cedure and it was urged that the application should be dismissed on the ground of limitation. It, there- fore, becomes necessary to deal with this question of limitation.
( 3 ) ON behalf of the complainant it is contended that if the time requisite for obtaining ther copies of the judgments of the Courts below is taken into account for computation of the period of limitation the application for leave to appeal is within time. This is accepted that if the time taken in obtaining the said copies is excluded in computing the period of limitation prescribed for the making of the application for leave to appeal then the application would be within limitation. It is necessary to quote Section 417 (4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It runs as follows : " (4) No application under Sub-section (3) for the grant of special leave to appeal from an order of acquittal snail be entertained by the High Court after the expiry of sixty days from the date of that order of acquittal. " it is contended on behalf of the opposite party that this period of sixty days is an absolute period and that the benefit or Section 12 (2) of the Limitation Act is not available to the applicant. Section 12 (2) of the Limitation Act runs as follows : "in computing the period of limitation prescribed for an appeal, an application for leave to appeal and an application for a review of judgment, the day on which the judgment complained of was-pronounced, and the time requisite for obtaining a copy of the decree, sentence or order appealed from or sought to be reviewed, shall be excluded," the contention firstly is that there are no rules making it necessary for the applicant to file copies of the judgments of the trial Court and of the Sessions Judge and, therefore, the time taken in obtaining such copies is not to be excluded under Section 12 (2) of the Limitation Act. In regard to this contention it is true that there are no rules prescribing that a copy of the judgment of acquittal should be filed but inasmuch as an applicant cannot be expected to draw up his application without a copy of the judgment of acquittal the time necessary for obtaining such a copy must be considered to be time requisite within the meaning of Section 12 (2) of the limitation Act. This view is supported by the decision reported in Jijibhoy N. Surly v. T. S. Chettyar Firm, AIR 1928 PC 103. There it was pointed out that the word "requisite" is a strong word and it may be regarded as meaning something more than the word required. It means "properly required. " The privy Council case was a case where it was not necessary on appeal to the appellate side that the memorandum of appeal should have annexed to it certified copies of the decree or order against whi
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