ORDER :

1. The petitioners are aggrieved by the prosecution for the offences under Sections 420 IPC and also Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (for short ‘the Act’).

2. According to the charge sheet filed by the Police Shantinagar, a written complaint was filed by the Agricultural Officer stating that the brands namely ‘Arunium’ and ‘Akshi’ varieties of chilli crop seeds are of sub-standard genetic purity. The said seeds were sold by the petitioner’s company, which is M/s.Monsanto Holdings Private Limited. The farmers were made to believe through their authorized dealers that the seeds were of genuine quality and the farmers would be benefited. However, when the farmers have sowed and cultivated the said seeds which were of sub-standard quality, they did not yield any crop and all the farmers have incurred losses. Aggrieved by the said sub-standard quality of seeds, the farmers staged dharna on 19.10.2016.

3. On 20.10.2016, a Scientist of Horticulture Department collected leaf samples from the farmers’ fields and sent for DNA testing analysis for verifying the genetic purity of plants. During investigation, it was found that ‘Arunim’ variety chill crop seeds were rec