IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE J.SREENIVAS RAO CRIMINAL PETITION No.5651 of 2026 Date: 16.04.2026 Between:

Mohd. Azgar Ali ...petitioner/accused No.3 AND The State of Telangana and another ...respondents

ORDER

This Criminal Petition has been filed seeking to quash the proceedings in C.C.No.535 of 2024, on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate at Bhadrachalam, Bhadradri Kothagudem District wherein the petitioner was arrayed as accused No.3, for the offences punishable under Sections 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short ‘IPC’) and Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (for short ‘EC’ Act).

2. Heard Mr. T. Vasantha Rao, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. Jithender Rao Veeramalla, learned Additional Public Prosecutor for respondent No.1.

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 wrongful gain and that on 02.04.2024, at about 13.00 hours, the petitioner was found in possession of 7 bags of PDS rice containing 350 kgs.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that without there being a