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State Of Gujarat v. Mansukhbhai Muljibhai Shingala

State Of Gujarat v. Mansukhbhai Muljibhai Shingala

(High Court Of Gujarat At Ahmedabad)

Criminal Appeal No. 1080 Of 1996 | 30-10-2009

Z.K. Saiyed, J.

1. The present appeal, under Section 378 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, is directed against the judgment and order of acquittal dated 8.8.1996 passed by the learned Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Gondal in Criminal Case No. 752 of 1989, whereby the accused have been acquitted from the charges leveled against them.

2. The brief facts of the prosecution case are as under:

2.1 The appellant - original complainant was working as Food Inspector, and had filed criminal case before the learned trial Judge, Gondal on the ground that he had collected Rava sample of on 25.5.1989 from the shops of respondents - accused. The said sample was found adulterated and it was not found as per the mandatory provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. The sample was sent for analysis to the Laboratory and report of the Laboratory was sent to the respondents. After verifying the report of analysis, the sample was not found as per the mandatory provisions.

2.2 Therefore, Criminal Case No. 752 of 1989 with respect to the offence under Sections 7(1) and 16(1)(A) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act was filed against the respondents before the learned Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Gondal. Necessary investigation was carried out and statements of several witnesses were recorded.

2.3 To prove the case against the present accused, the prosecution has examined, the witnesses and also produced documentary evidence.

3. Being aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the aforesaid judgment and order passed by the learned trial Court the appellant has preferred the present appeal.

4. It was contended by learned APP Mr. H.L. Jani that the judgment and order of the trial Court is against the provisions of law; the trial Court has not properly considered the evidence led by the prosecution and looking to the provisions of law itself it is established that the prosecution has proved the whole ingredients of the evidence against the present respondent. Learned APP has also taken this Court through the oral as well as the entire documentary evidence.

4.1 Thus, it is a settled principle that while exercising appellate power, even if two reasonable conclusions are possible on the basis of the evidence on record, the appellate court should not disturb the finding of acquittal recorded by the trial court.

4.2 Even in a recent decision of the Apex Court in the case of State of Goa v. Sanjay Thakran and Anr. Reported in (2007)3 SCC 75 [LQ/SC/1992/70] , the Court has reiterated the powers of the High Court in such cases. In para 16 of the said decision the Court has observed as under:

16. From the aforesaid decisions, it is apparent that while exercising the powers in appeal against the order of acquittal the Court of appeal would not ordinarily interfere with the order of acquittal unless the approach of the lower Court is vitiated by some manifest illegality and the conclusion arrived at would not be arrived at by any reasonable person and, therefore, the decision is to be characterized as perverse. Merely because two views are possible, the Court of appeal would not take the view which would upset the judgement delivered by the Court below. However, the appellate court has a power to review the evidence if it is of the view that the conclusion arrived at by the Court below is perverse and the Court has committed a manifest error of law and ignored the material evidence on record. A duty is cast upon the appellate court, in such circumstances, to re-appreciate the evidence to arrive to a just decision on the basis of material placed on record to find out whether any of the accused is connected with the commission of the crime he is charged with.

4.3 Similar principle has been laid down by the Apex Court in the cases of State of Uttar Pradesh v. Ram Veer Singh and Ors. reported in AIR 2007 SCW 5553 and in Girja Prasad (Dead) by LRs v. state of MP reported in AIR 2007 SCW 5589 [LQ/SC/2007/1049] . Thus, the powers which this Court may exercise against an order of acquittal are well settled.

4.4 It is also a settled legal position that in acquittal appeal, the appellate court is not required to re-write the judgment or to give fresh reasonings, when the reasons assigned by the Court below are found to be just and proper. Such principle is laid down by the Apex Court in the case of State of Karnataka v. Hemareddy reported in : AIR 1981 SC 1417 [LQ/SC/1981/45] , wherein, it is held as under:

This Court has observed in Girija Nandini Devi v. Bigendra Nandini Chaudhary : (1967)1 SCR 93 [LQ/SC/1966/149] : AIR 1967 SC 1124 [LQ/SC/1966/149] that it is not the duty of the appellate court when it agrees with the view of the trial court on the evidence to repeat the narration of the evidence or to reiterate the reasons given by the trial court expression of general agreement with the reasons given by the Court the decision of which is under appeal, will ordinarily suffice.

5. I have gone through the judgment and order passed by the trial court. I have also perused the oral as well as documentary evidence led by the trial court and also considered the submissions made by learned Counsel for the appellant. The trial court has clearly recorded a finding that the accused have not committed any offence under the. Thus, from the evidence itself it is established that the prosecution has not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

6. Learned APP is not in a position to show any evidence to take a contrary view of the matter or that the approach of the trial court is vitiated by some manifest illegality or that the decision is perverse or that the trial court has ignored the material evidence on record.

7. In the above view of the matter, I am of the considered opinion that the trial court was completely justified in acquitting the respondent of the charges leveled against him.

8. I find that the findings recorded by the trial court are absolutely just and proper and in recording the said findings, no illegality or infirmity has been committed by it.

9. I am, therefore, in complete agreement with the findings, ultimate conclusion and the resultant order of acquittal recorded by the court below and hence find no reasons to interfere with the same. Hence the appeal is hereby dismissed.

Advocate List
  • For Petitioner : Chetna Shah, Additional Public Prosecutor
  • For Respondent : Appellant 1
Bench
  • HON'BLE JUSTICE Z.K. SAIYED, J.
Eq Citations
  • LQ/GujHC/2009/870
Head Note

PFA, Food Adulteration Act, 1954 — Ss. 7(1) and 16(1)(a) — Adulteration of food — Acquittal of accused — Propriety of — Conviction not possible — Prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt — Trial court's acquittal order, held, justified — Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, Ss. 378 and 386(1)