IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. OF 2026 (@ SLP(CRL.) No.20667/2025)

RAJAN APPELLANT(S)

VERSUS STATE OF KERALA RESPONDENT(S)

O R D E R

1. Leave granted.

2. We have heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties.

3. The appellant has been charged and convicted for the offence punishable under Section 8(2) of the Abkari Act (for short, ‘the Act’).

4. The case of the prosecution against the appellant is that he was found to be in possession of 10 liters of illicit arrack. Accordingly, he was convicted and sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of one year and to pay a fine of Rs.1 Lakh by the Trial Court. The same was confirmed by the Signature Not Verified First Appellate Court.

SWETA BALODI Date: 2026.02.27 Reason: 5. On appeal, the High Court, vide the impugned order, while confirming the conviction rendered against the appellant, modified the sentence imposed upon the appellant to six months of simple imprisonment and confirmed the fine of Rs.1 Lakh which is the minimum fine under Section 8(2) of the Act.

6. We had issued a limited notice with respect to the quantum of sentence alone.

7. It is to be noted that the appella