IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE J.SREENIVAS RAO CRIMINAL PETITION No.4480 of 2026 Date: 01.04.2026 Between:

Pathi Devender ...Petitioner AND The State of Telangana, Through SHO Panjagutta PS, Rep. by Public Prosecutor (High Court), High Court of Telangana, Hyderabad- 500066, Email: pp.highcourt @ yahoo.com and another ...Respondents

ORDER

This Criminal Petition has been filed seeking to quash the proceedings in FIR No.161 of 2026 of Panjagutta Police Station, Hyderabad, wherein the petitioner was arrayed as accused No.1 for the offences punishable under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitha, 2023 (for short ‘BNS’) and Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (for short ‘EC Act’).

2. Heard Mr.Midhun Kumar Allu, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr.Jithender Rao Veeramalla, learned Additional Public Prosecutor for respondents.

3. The specific allegation against the petitioner/accused is that he has procured PDS rice from the beneficiaries at cheaper rate to sell the same for profit and on 10.03.2026, the petitioner was found in possession of 65 bags of PDS rice each weighing about 50 kgs.

4. Learned counsel for the