HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH ****

Decided on 15.01.2025 ****

Parshotam Singh ... Petitioner VS.

State of Punjab ... Respondent ****

CORAM: HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE SANDEEP MOUDGIL ****

Present: Mr. Dixit Raj Kapoor, Advocate for the petitioner Mr. Jaspal Singh Guru, AAG Punjab ****

Sandeep Moudgil, J.

(1). This petition under Section 401 CrPC has been filed by the petitioner seeking to quash the impugned judgment dated 04.04.2024 passed by Sh. Arun Gupta, Sessions Judge, Fatehgarh Sahib as well as the judgment dated 11.12.2019 passed by Mahesh Grover, CJM, Fatehgarh Sahib vide which the petitioner has been convicted and sentenced to undergo RI for two years with fine of Rs.2 lakhs in case FIR No.108 dated 24.10.2017 under Section 61 of Punjab Excise Act, 1914 registered at Police Station Bassi Pathana.

(2). Brief facts of the case drawn by the trial court as emanating from the final report under section 173 Cr.P.C. are reproduced as under:- “…on 24.10.17, ASI Inderjit Singh along with other police officials was present at bridge of drain of Allam in a private vehicle in connection with routine checking and patrolling duty. At about 12.15 PM, ASI Inderjit Singh received a secret