IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HON’BLE SMT. JUSTICE TIRUMALA DEVI EADA Date:22.01.2026 Between:

Challa Narahari …Petitioner/Accused No.14 And State of Telangana, Rep. by the Public Prosecutor, High Court for the State of Telangana, Hyderabad and 2 others.

... Respondents

ORDER:

This Criminal Petition is filed seeking to quash the proceedings against the petitioner-accused No.14 in FIR No.456 of 2025 on the file of Paloncha Town Police Station, Bhadradri Kothagudem District, registered for the offences under Sections 318(4), 316(5), read with 61(2) of BNS and Section of 7 of Essential Commodities Act.

2. Heard Sri K. Krishna Kalyan, learned counsel representing Smt. Allampally Rupa Devi, learned counsel on record for the petitioner and Sri Jithender Rao Veeramalla, learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for respondent No.1 –State.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the petitioner is into rice business and that he is not involved in any clandestine business and that he was falsely implicated in the present case and the offence under Section 316(5) of BNS is not applicable to the petitioner. He further submitted that this Court has quashed the proceedings in cases wherein, the petitioners therein were facing similar allegations. He therefore, prayed to extend the same relief to the present petitioner also.

4. Learned Additional Public Prosecutor has submitted that the source of obtaining the seized rice is not explained by the petitioner herein and hence, the proceedings cannot be quashed against him and that once they have disrupted the public distribution system, it amounts to serious offence and that if they have purchased the rice from the beneficiaries, then the same relief can be granted. He, therefore, prayed to dismiss the petition.

5. Perused the record.

6. The allegations in the complaint are that the complaint is lodged by the District Civil Supply Officer stating that on 02.12.2025 at about 4.15 p.m., on reliable information, they waited at GCCS Mandal Level Stock Point, Paloncha, Bhadradri Kothagudem District and in the meanwhile, one motor cycle bearing No. AP 20 AV 1899 (Bajaj Pulsar) came into the GCC Mandal Level Stock Point and the rider of the motor bike approached the Incharge of MLS Point and the Data Entry Operator in a hurry, and handed over some papers, on which the Data Entry Operator made certain entries and has given back the same to the rider of the motor bike. Then, the officials stopped the said person and on enquiry they came to know that on the instructions of one N. Srinivas, a contractor, he has collected PDS rice from the Agriculture Market Committee of Mallaram, loaded in a lorry bearing registration No.TS 29 T 5139, which was arranged by the petitioner herein, who is the owner of M/s.Ramya Trader Rice Mill and that as per their plan they have manipulated the GPS tracking system and by a motor cycle No.AP 20 AV 1899 along with the Truck chit No.4346 of lorry bearing No.TS 29 T 5139 reached to GCC MLS Point, Paloncha and handed over to MLS Point Incharge and date entry operator where they entered the truck chit details in their records and gave them back. On the efforts of the Civil Supplies Department, the lorry was traced out in the outskirts of Nakiripeta Village and on enquiry, the driver cum owner of the said lorry has stated that on the request of the accused, he was shifting the rice from Mallaram to his Rice Mill at Manuguru and that the accused used to supply CMR rice by diverting the PDS rice from the buffer godown. It is further disclosed in the investigation that five such trips of lorry loaded with PDS rice was being shifted to the Rice Mill by the same lorry in the same manner. Hence, the allegations prima facie point out the offences alleged against the petitioner. The investigation is still in progress.

7. The contention of the learned counsel for the petitioner is that the ingredients of Section 316(5) of BNS do not apply to