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2022 DIGILAW 1174 (RAJ)

Bhanwar Lal v. State Of Rajasthan

2022-04-11

VINIT KUMAR MATHUR

body2022
JUDGMENT 1. The instant criminal misc. petition has been preferred by the petitioners herein seeking quashing of the proceedings of Criminal Case No. 642/2011 registered for the offences under Sections 7 and 7/16 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and Rule 50 (1) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 1955 pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jodhpur Metropolitan. 2. Brief facts relevant and essential for disposal the instant misc. petition are noted hereinbelow:- 3. The Food Inspector, Jodhpur visited premises of M/s Shriram International (Unit of Shriram Hotel), Residency Road, Ratanada, Jodhpur on 29.04.2011, where he met Vikas Shrivastav (Seller & General Manager). Food articles viz. vegetables, Rotis, Paneer Pakoda etc. were being prepared and served to the public in the hotel. The Food Inspector collected sample of food article Paneer (cottage cheese) from the cold storage of the hotel. The sample of Paneer was divided into three parts, one of which was forwarded to the Local Health Authority, Jodhpur for analysis from where, a report dated 25.05.2011 was received to the effect that the food article (Paneer) was adulterated. The Food Inspector thereafter, collected details of the partners/directors of the firm M/s Shriram International and was allegedly apprised that the petitioners herein, Bhanwarlal and Omprakash were the partners of the firm which was operating the hotel. Accordingly, a complaint came to be filed by the Food Inspector in the court of CMM, Jodhpur against the petitioners and few others with the allegations that the accused persons being the directors/partners of the firm were liable to be prosecuted for the offences under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act as well as under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules as adulterated food article Paneer was being sold to public from the firm's premises. 4. The present writ petition has been filed by the petitioner on the ground that the petitioners are not connected with the day to day affairs of the Firm and even a bare perusal of the complaint goes to show that the petitioners have not been saddled with the responsibility of conducting the day to day affairs of the Firm in any manner. 5. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the prosecution against the petitioners is unwarranted. In support of his contention, learned Senior Counsel representing the petitioners has relied upon the following judgments:- 1. Pepsico India Holdings Private Ltd. Vs. 5. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the prosecution against the petitioners is unwarranted. In support of his contention, learned Senior Counsel representing the petitioners has relied upon the following judgments:- 1. Pepsico India Holdings Private Ltd. Vs. Food Inspector & Anr. : (2011) 1 Supreme Court Cases 176 2. Shyam Lal & Ors. Vs. State of Rajasthan : 2012 (2) CJ (Crl.) (Raj.) 815 6. Learned Senior Counsel submits that the complaint lodged against the petitioners is totally bad in the eyes of law and amounts to gross abuse of process of the Court and hence, the same deserves to be quashed qua the petitioners. Learned Senior Counsel further submits that in the identical set of the facts, this Court vide order dated 09.12.2020 has quashed the proceedings of the other petitioners named in the complaint in S.B. Criminal Misc(Pet.) No. 931/2012. 7. Learned Public Prosecutor, on the other hand opposed the submissions advances by the petitioners' counsel. He submits that the grounds canvassed by the petitioners for quashing the proceedings can be appreciated by the trial court after evidence is recorded at the trial and not by this Court while exercising its inherent powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C. Learned Public Prosecutor however, very fairly submits that the facts narrated in the complaint does not disclose the involvement of the present petitioners in the day to day affairs of the Firm in question. 8. I have given my thoughtful consideration to the submissions advanced at bar and have gone through the impugned complaint. 9. It is apparent that other than bare recital in para No.8 of the complaint, which reads as below:- 10. There is not even a whisper in the entire body of complaint that the petitioners herein, were in any manner responsible for the day to day affairs of the firm in question. The accused No.1 Vikas Srivastava has been arraigned as the Seller and the General Manager of the hotel and thus, he can be presumed to be the person responsible for the day to day affairs thereof. The accused No.1 Vikas Srivastava has been arraigned as the Seller and the General Manager of the hotel and thus, he can be presumed to be the person responsible for the day to day affairs thereof. Law is well settled by a catena of judgments, some of which are referred to supra, that in a prosecution under the Food Adulteration Act, where the accused is a Company or a firm, there have to be specific allegations supported by evidence that the director/directors or partner/partners concerned who are sought to be prosecuted were responsible for the day to day affairs of the company/firm and the prosecution cannot be allowed if the complaint lacks in such allegations. 11. On a perusal of para No.8 of the complaint referred to supra, indicating the entire substratum of prosecution regarding the arraignment of the petitioners as accused in this case, it is clear that there is not even a whisper that being the partners of the firm M/s Shriram International, the petitioners were in any manner responsible for its day to day affairs. Thus, the controversy at hand is squarely covered by the ratio of the judgments referred to supra. 12. Accordingly, the proceedings of the impugned complaint deserve to be quashed qua the petitioners. As an upshot of the above discussion, the criminal misc. petition is hereby allowed. The proceedings of the impugned complaint are quashed qua the present petitioners. However, trial of the remaining accused persons shall proceed as per law. Stay application is disposed of.