IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE J.SREENIVAS RAO CRIMINAL PETITION No.17885 of 2025 Date: 05.05.2026 Between:

Md. Nihal Uddin ...petitioner/accused AND The State of Telangana and another ...respondents

ORDER

This Criminal Petition has been filed seeking to quash the proceedings in F.I.R.No.746 of 2025, of Jagtial Town Police Station, Jagtial, wherein the petitioner was arrayed as accused, for the offences punishable under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNS’) and Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (for short ‘EC’ Act).

2. Heard Mr. G. Raghu, 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 wrongful gain and that on 09.12.2025, at about 10:30 hours, the petitioner was found in possession of 28 bags of PDS rice containing 14 quintals.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that without there being any complaint from any beneficiary, alleging that the rice was