Research › Browse › Judgment

Madras High Court · body

1954 DIGILAW 264 (MAD)

Messrs. Malabar Roadway Service, Kozhikode v. The State of Madras represented by the Secretary, Home Department

1954-07-12

P.V.RAJAMANNAR, SOMASUNDARAM

body1954
Rajamannar, C.J.-In our opinion, this appeal must be dismissed. But we would prefer to rest our decision on the merits. The main point of the appellant before us was that the prosecution of the conductor who was in charge of the bus on the material date ended in an acquittal, and therefore applying the principle of the decision in D’Silva v. Regional Transport Authority1, the order of suspension by the Transport Authority should be vacated. The learned Judge whose order is under appeal, on a careful consideration of that judgment, held that it did not compel him to hold that the order of the Transport Authorities was illegal or void, because there was no finding by the Magistrate that there had been no over-crowding. The acquittal was on a technical ground, viz., that the prosecution had not proved by the production of the G Permit the sanctioned capacity of the vehicle. An acquittal in such circumstances cannot amount to a positive finding by the criminal Court that the accused is not guilty of the offence. In our opinion, inspite of such a technical acquittal, it would be open to the Transport Authorities if satisfied on the material before them to hold that there had been overloading. On this ground, we agree that the appellant has no case. It is not necessary to deal with the other points arising out of the judgment under appeal. The appeal is dismissed with costs. Advocate’s fee Rs. 100. K.C. ----- Appeal dismissed.