Bombay High Court
Service Food Inspector vs Vijaykumar Babulal Sharma on 4 April, 2009
Author: V.R.Kingaonkar
Bench: V.R.Kingaonkar
(1)
REPORTED
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD.
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.331 OF 1997
The State of Maharashtra,
through Suresh Chandulal
Tiwari, Aged 45 years, Occ.
Service Food Inspector,
R/o Parbhani. ... Appellant.
Versus
Vijaykumar Babulal Sharma,
Aged 30 years, Occ.Business
Prop. M/s Omprakash Vijaykumar
Sharma Kirana Dukan, Main
Road, Shelgaon, Tq. Gangakhed,
Dist.Parbhani. ... Respondent.
(Orig. Accused).
...
Mrs.S.S.Autade, A.P.P. for the State.
Mrs.Netrali Jain, advocate holding for Mr.B.A.Darak
and Varsha Lotke, advocates for the Respondent.
...
CORAM : V.R.KINGAONKAR,J.
Reserved on : 17.03.2009.
Pronounced on: 04.04.2009.
JUDGMENT
1. Challenge in this appeal is to judgment rendered by learned Judicial Magistrate (F.C.), Gangakhed, in a Criminal Case No.1/1996), whereby the Respondent came to be acquitted for the offence punishable U/ss 2(ia)(a) read with 7(i), 2(ia)(m) ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (2) read with 7(i), 2(ia)(m) read with 7(i), 14(a) and Rule 44(e) read with 16(1)(a)(2), 16(ia)(i), 16(1)(a)(i) 16(la)(2) and 16(1)(a) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
2. The Respondent is proprietor of a grocery shop styled as "M/s Omprakash Vijaykumar Sharma Kirana Stores". The grocery shop is situated on main road at Shelgaon under Gangakhed Tahsil of Parbhani District. P.W.1 - Suresh Tiwari, at the material time, was working as Food Inspector for Parbhani District. He ig was duly appointed to work as Food Inspector vide Government Notification dated 6th September, 1972 (Exh.21).
3. Briefly stated, the prosecution case is that on August 8, 1995, P.W. 1 - Suresh Tiwari, visited grocery shop of the Respondent No.1 at about 12-30 hours. He was accompanied by panch Ramprasad Sarda. The Respondent was then attending the business of the grocery shop. P.W. - Suresh Tiwari disclosed his identity as Food Inspector and inquired about ownership of the grocery shop. The Respondent informed him that he was owner of the grocery shop.
P.W. - Suresh Tiwari then inspected the shop premises. He noticed a canister containing about 10 ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (3) Kgs. of Safflower oil and another canister containing about 8 Kgs. of Sunflower oil. He purchased 450 grams each of Safflower oil and Sunflower oil against payment of Rs.18-90 Ps. and Rs.16.65 Ps. respectively being the price of the oils. He obtained a composite receipt (Exh.24) from the Respondent. He served notice in form No.VI as per Rule 12 of the P.F.A.Rules and obtained signature of the Respondent on office copy thereof. He issued another notice U/s 14-A of the of P.F.A. Act. The notices were duly served on the Respondent. The Respondent gave his acknowledgments. The Respondent did not, however, furnish the purchase bills as demanded under the notice issued U/s 14-A.
4. The Food Inspector (P.W. - Suresh Tiwari) divided the Sunflower oil in three parts of 150 grams each. He filled those three parts in clean, dry and empty bottles. The sample bottles were closed by means of plastic corks. The mouths of the sample bottles were sealed by means of lakh seals. The sample bottles were affixed with labels as per Rule 15 of the P.F.A. Rules. The labels were signed by the Respondent, panch and the Food Inspector.
Thereafter each sample bottle was wrapped separately in a thick brown paper. The corners of the brown ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (4) papers were pasted by means of gum, inversely, to prepare sample packets. A paper slip bearing signature of the Local Health Authority and Code No.ABD/14/P Sr.No.002523 was affixed on each of the sample packet. The wrappers were also signed by the Respondent and the panch and the Food Inspector. The Food Inspector firmly tied each of the sample packet horizontally and vertically by means of a twill (thread). The knot and other three sides of the packets were sealed by means of a lakh seal. Similar method was adopted while collecting the sample of safflower oil.
ig Thereafter, Memorandum Panchanama (Exh.27) was drawn then and there. The Food Inspector thereafter returned to his office. On the next day, he prepared five (5) copies of form No.VII and a forwarding letter addressed to the Public Analyst, Aurangabad. He sent one of the sealed sample packet alongwith a forwarding letter and original form No.VII to office of the Public Analyst, Aurangabad in a sealed packet. He separately sent the specimen seal impression and a duplicate copy of form VII alognwith a covering letter to the office of the Public Analyst by R.P.A.D. On the same day, he sent the remaining the two sample packets, two copies of form No.VII and intimation notice in another sealed packet to the Local Health Authority. He ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (5) received copy of the report of the Public Analyst from the Local Health Authority on September 25, 1995. It was reported that the the sample of sunflower oil contained 60.6 red units in 1 cm. cell on Levibond scale as a result of Halphens test and as such contravened Rule 44(e) of the P.F.A. Rules, 1955. He lateron sought consent of the Local Health Authority to prosecute the Respondent. Upon receiving the consent letter issued by the Competent Authority, namely, Joint Commissioner (Food and Drugs Administration), he instituted the complaint case against the Respondent for commission of the offence as indicated earlier.
5. The Respondent denied truth into the charge (Exh.51). His defence was of simple denial.
He did not ascribe any reason for false prosecution.
He only stated that the Criminal case was false.
6. It is pertinent to mention here that the Respondent exercised right available U/s 13(2) of the P.F.A. Act. On his application, one of the sample packet was called from the Local Health Authority by the learned Judicial Magistrate (F.C.). That sample packet was sent to the Central Food Laboratory, Calcutta by the learned Judicial Magistrate (F.C.) ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (6) after following due procedure. The Director, C.F.L. gave report to the effect that the the sample of the sunflower oil contained 24.2 red unit and test for cotton seed oil was positive. The sample oil contravened Rule 44(e) of the P.F.A. Rules. Thus, the earlier report of the Public Analyst was partly confirmed by the report of the Director,C.F.L., Calcutta.
7. At the trial, P.W.1 Suresh Tiwari (Food Inspector), P.W. - 2 Vaijinath Babne, Assistant Commissioner (Food and Drugs), Parbhani being the Local Health Authority and P.W. 3 - Ramprasad Sarda being the panch were examined on behalf of the prosecution. Out of them, P.W. - 3 Ramprasad Sarda did not support case of the prosecution. He states that on 8.8.1995 he was called by the Food Inspector to act as panch in the grocery shop of the Respondent. He further states that the Memorandum Panchanama (Exh.27) bears his signature. He vaguely states that the said panchanama was drawn in respect of the seizure of oil in the sealed packets.
8. The learned Judicial Magistrate acquitted the Respondent from the charges mainly for the reason that after receiving report of the C.F.L. no fresh ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (7) consent was obtained by the Food Inspector to prosecute the Respondent. The learned Judicial Magistrate relied upon view taken in "S.M.Anwar & Co.
and another Vs. State of West Bengal and another"
1993 Criminal Law Journal 3754. The learned Judicial Magistrate further held that the sample bottles were filled to the extent of half of the capacity and, therefore, the delay in conducting the analysis could be the reason as to why the deficiency was noticed during the analysis. On the basis of such findings, the Respondent came to be acquitted.
9. Heard learned A.P.P. and learned advocate for the Respondent. I have perused the record and proceedings with the help of the learned A.P.P. and learned advocate of the Respondent.
10. Crucial points for determination are :
. (i) Whether it is proved that
the Respondent sold the sunflower oil to
P.W. - Suresh Tiwari, the Food
Inspector, in the noon of August 8, 1995, which was of the quality inferior to what was represented.?
::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (8) (ii) Whether it is proved that the
Respondent did not disclose name and
address of the person from whom he had
purchased sunflower oil though was served with notice U/s 14-A of the P.F.A. Act, and, therefore, is liable for punishment U/s 16(1)(a)(2) of the said Act.?
11. Before I embark upon scrutiny of the prosecution evidence, it is worthwhile to note that the Respondent did not dispute his ownership of the grocery shop in question. The Respondent did not furnish any information to P.W. Suresh Tiwari as regards the name of the person from whom the sunflower oil was purchased by him. The standard prescribed for sunflower oil is shown vide item NO.A.17.22 in appendix B of Rule 5 of P.F.A. Rules, 1955. The sunflower oil shall meet the following standards :
"A.17.22- SUNFLOWER SEED OIL means the oil obtained from clear and sound sunflower seeds or cake from the plants.
Helianthus annus Linn (Family :
Compositae) by the method of expression
or solvent extraction. It shall be
clear, free from rancidity, suspended or
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other foreign matter, separated water,
added colouring or flavouring substances
or mineral oil. It shall conform to the
following standards, namely:
(a) Butyro-refractometer
reading at 40 C .. 57.1-[65.0]
or
Refractive Index at
40 C .. 1,4640-[1,469]
(b) Iodine value
(Wijs' method) .. 100 - 145
(c) Saponification
value .. 188 - 194
(d) Unsaponifiable
matter .. Not more than
1.5 per cent.
Acid value .. Not more than
6.0
. Further, if the oil is
obtained by the method of solvent
extraction, it shall be supplied for
human consumption only after refining and ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (10) shall conform to the standards laid down under Item A.17.15. Additionally, it shall have Flash point (Pensky-Marten closed method) - not less than 250 C]."
12. The version of P.W. Suresh purports to show that he is duly appointed as Food Inspector and was having authority to work as such in the area of Parbhani District during the relevant period. There is no dispute about his experience and authority. His version purports to show that he visited the grocery shop of the Respondent at about 12-30 hours on August 08, 1995 alongwith the panch witness. He narrated as to how he purchased 450 grams of the sunflower oil from the Respondent for consideration of Rs.16.65 Ps.
His version is corroborated by the payment receipt (Exh.24). The receipt is signed by the Respondent.
His version reveals further that he issued the notice in form No.VI and obtained acknowledgment of the Respondent on the office copy thereof (Exh.25). His version reveals that he served notice U/s 14-A of the P.F.A. Act on the Respondent and obtained his acknowledgment on the office copy thereof (Exh.26).
His categorical statement is to the effect that inspite of service of such notice, the Respondent did not submit information about the purchase bills in ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (11) respect of the sunflower oil.
13. P.W. Suresh, Food Inspector, narrated as to how he prepared the three sample packets by dividing the three (3) parts of the sunflower oil which were filled in three samples bottles. He categorically states that the sample bottles were clean, dry and empty. He narrated further procedure of preparing the sample packets in the manner required under the law.
His such statement was not challenged during course of the cross-examination. He narrated as to how one of the sample packet was forwarded by him to the Public Analyst alongwith a forwarding letter and original form No.VII. His version reveals further that he separately forwarded a copy of form No.VII and the specimen seal impression to the Public Analyst, Aurangabad. He states that the remaining two sealed sample packets and the two copies of form Nos.VII alongwith intimation notice were sent to the Local Health Authority in a sealed packet. He received copy of the report of the Public Analyst on 25.9.1995 (Exh.39) alongwith letter of the Local Health Authority (Exh.38). The report indicated that the sample oil was not in conformity with the prescribed and contravened Rule 44(e). He therefore, moved the Local Health Authority to issue consent letter. After ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (12) receipt of the consent letter, he prosecuted the Respondent through the private complaint case. He admits that the oil sample was collected in a steel utensil which was with him. and thereafter it was divided. He admits that he did not see measuring flask/pot used by the Respondent for weighing the oil.
He denied the suggestion that the same measuring flask was used by the Respondent for weighing the sunflower as well as safflower oil and it was of the shop of the Respondent. According to P.W. Suresh Tiwari, he did not use any measuring flask while dividing the oil in the three equal parts.
ig He states that he prepared the
three equal parts because the sample bottles were of
the identical size. His version reveals that each of
the sample bottle was filled upto about half of the
portion. According to him, approximately 150 grams of
the oil was filled in each of the sample bottle. He
denied suggestion that the shop and the residential
house of the Respondent are in the same premises.
14. The version of P.W. Vaijinath Babne purports to show that he was working as Assistant Commissioner (Food and Drugs Administration) and Local Health Authority for Parbhani District during the relevant period. He corroborates the fact that on August 9, 1995, the Food Inspector handed over two ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (13) sealed sample packets in sealed condition, alongwith the seal impressions, to him. His version reveals that on September 21, 1995, he received report of the Public Analyst in quadruplicate. He sent one of the copy of the report to the Food Inspector alongwith a forwarding letter (Exh.38). His version further reveals that the Food Inspector forwarded relevant papers to the Joint Commissioner (Food and Drugs), Aurangabad through him. He further deposed that he issued notice to the Respondent alongwith the copy of the report of Public Analyst, as required U/s 13(2) of the P.F.A. Act with intimation that he could challenge the same within ten (10) days from date of the receipt thereof. The intimation letter and acknowledgment (Exh.56 and Exh.57) are corroborated by him.
15. Significantly, the Respondent filed the application in the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate (F.C.), on 15.1.1996. His application (Exh.5) shows that he desired analysis of the sunflower oil sample through the C.F.L. The report was sent to the learned Judicial Magistrate vide letter dated August 28, 1996. The report itself shows that the sample was found in fit condition and was useful for the purpose of analysis. The C.F.L. ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (14) report shows that the test for cottonseed oil was positive and indicated 24.2 Red unit. The opinion of the Director of the C.F.L. shows that the sample of the oil contravened Rule 44(e) of the P.F.A. Rules, 1955.
16. As stated before, the learned Judicial Magistrate heavily relied upon dictum in case of "S.M.Anwar & Co. and another Vs. State of West Bengal and another (supra)". It is for want of subsequent fresh consent letter U/s 20 of the P.F.A. Act, after the ig C.F.L. report was received by the Court, that the Respondent came to be acquitted. The main ground of acquittal is, however, not available to the Respondent. The dictum in "S.M.Anwar & Co. and another Vs. State of West Bengal and another" (supra) is no more good law in view of "Food Inspector, Ernakulam and another Vs. P.S.Sreenivasa Shenoy" 2000 Cri.L.J.3498. The Apex Court held that when report of a Public Analyst was superseded by a certificate of Director of Central Food Laboratory, it is not necessary to obtain afresh consent to institute prosecution and recommence the proceedings under the P.F.A. Act. It is observed that if the prosecution has been validly instituted neither any new data nor any added reasons contained in the certificate issued ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (15) by the Director of Central Food Laboratory would be sufficient to annul the sanction already obtained with which the prosecution was already instituted. The trial has to proceed on the certificate on record which superseded the Report of the Public Analyst.
The Apex Court observed :
. "Variation regarding the reasons
or the data by which two different
analysts had reached the conclusion that
the sample is adulterated is not
sufficient
igto hold that the basic facts
on which the prosecution is founded, have been altered. Hence Section 216(5) of the Code would not improve the position of the accused for the purpose of obtaining fresh consent on the facts of this case."
17. Considering the legal position settled by the Apex Court, it will have to be said that the Respondent could not be acquitted of the charge on account of failure of the Food Inspector to obtain afresh consent U/s 20 of the P.F.A. Act after receipt of the report from Director of the C.F.L. The reasons ascribed by the learned Judicial Magistrate are not ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (16) valid and proper.
18. The next plank of the defence was that the variations could occur due to keeping of half of the sample bottle unfilled. The learned Judicial Magistrate further noticed that exact date of the analysis was not mentioned in the report of the Public Analyst. He noticed that the data given in the report of the Public Analyst differs from the data mentioned in the certificate of the C.F.L. It need not be emphasised that the certificate of the C.F.L. would supersede the report of the Public Analyst. So far as variation is concerned, it can not be ascribed to empty space in the bottles. The report of the Public Analyst (Exh.39) reveals that the sample of sunflower oil was analysed before 18.9.1995. Thus, within a period of 45 days from collection of the sample oil, the analysis was completed. There was no unreasonable delay in carrying out the analysis. The learned Judicial Magistrate seems to have placed reliance on "Nagar Swasthaya Adhikari, Nagar Mahapalika Vs. Mohammad Wasim" 1992 Criminal Law Journal 3681. The facts of the given case are not on the same footings.
There was delay of 46 days in analysing the sample with empty space in the sample phial. The learned Single Judge of Allahabad High Court discarded the ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (17) report of the Public Analyst due to circumstances obtained in that case. I respectfully disagree with said view. Unless it is shown that the empty space in the sample bottle could cause the variations on account of any scientific reason, such kind of inference can not be drawn merely on basis of guess-work.
19. True, there was no facility of cold storage in the office of the Food Inspector or the Asstt.Commissioner. Still, however, it cannot be overlooked that ig the Food Inspector forwarded the sealed sample packets of the Public Analyst vide letter dated 9.8.1995 (Exh.29) on the very next day.
There is absolutely no substratum to infer that due to some vacant space left in the sample bottles, the presence of Red units could occur. The Court cannot draw imaginary inference about probable changes in the standard of the food article only because some part of the sample bottle was vacant inasmuch as half of the sample bottle was filled with the sunflower oil. It is important to note that the Director, C.F.L. gave categorical opinion that the oil sample was found fit for the purpose of analysis. In fact, if the sample bottles were not properly stored then there was probability of rancidity of the oil. The conclusion ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (18) drawn by the learned Judicial Magistrate that there was probability of the variations in the standard due to open space available in the sample bottles is based upon mere conjectures. One cannot be oblivious of the fact that the Respondent did not call for the Director of the C.F.L. for the purpose of cross-examination.
The Respondent invited the certificate of the C.F.L. and unless there is substantial reason to dislodge the certificate, the learned Magistrate should not have discarded the same.
20. The next plank of the contention raised before the trial Court was that the reports of the Public Analyst and the C.F.L. did not show that the sunflower oil was unfit for the human consumption and, therefore, it could not be termed as adulterated one.
The observations of the learned Judicial Magistrate in this behalf are clearly contrary to the settled legal position. The Apex Court in "Tulsiram Vs. State of Madhya Pradesh" A.I.R. 1985 Supreme Court 299, held :
. "It is therefore seen that the
sale of an article of food the sale of
which is prohibited by any rule made
under the Act also renders the person
selling the article of food liable to
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punishment under S.16(1)(a)(i). Rule
44(3) prohibits the sale of a mixture of
two or more edible oils as an edible oil.
A mixture of Soyabean oil and cotton seed oil cannot therefore be sold as Soyabean oil irrespective of whether the mixture has affected the Soyabean oil injuriously or not."
21. Mrs.Netrali Jain, learned advocate holding for Mr.Darak, advocate would submit that the report of the Public Analyst or that of the C.F.L. could not be considered inasmuch as the qualifications of the Chief Chemist were not mentioned therein. It is also submitted that the reports do not show as to on what date the sample was analysed and other details were missing from the said reports. Reliance is placed on "The State of Maharashtra Vs. Radheshyam Gopikishan Mantri" MH LR 1982 Bom 178. A Single Bench of this Court, in the particular fact situation of the given case, declined to accept report of the Public Analyst for variety of reasons. The report of the Public Analyst did not show what tests were applied or what tests were followed in arriving at the conclusion. In the present case, however, such details are indicated in the report of the Public Analyst and moreover, that ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (20) report is superseded by the certificate of the Central Food Laboratory, Calcutta. The certificate of the C.F.L. would show the details of the tests applied and the findings resulted from the tests. It goes without saying that the prosecution sufficiently established the fact that the sample of the sunflower oil was adulterated being admixture of cotton seed oil. It is also duly proved that the Respondent did not comply with the directions to furnish the necessary information though was served with notice U/s 14-A of the P.F.A. Act. There was no irregularity pointed out in the procedure adopted while sending the samples to the Public Analyst and the Central Food Laboratory. The Apex Court in "Benny Thomas Vs. Food Inspector, Kochi and another" 2008 ALL MR (Cri.) 2553 (S.C.), held that when the proper procedure was followed while sending the samples to the Public Analyst and the Central Food Laboratory, the High Court rightly held that there was no violation of Rule 17 and 18 of the P.F.A. Rules. The Apex Court also noticed that the sentence imposed was minimum as provided under the P.F.A. Act and, therefore, the appeal of the accused was dismissed.
22. For the reasons aforestated, I have no hesitation in holding that the prosecution ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (21) successfully proved that the Respondent sold the sunflower oil to P.W. Suresh Tiwari, the Food Inspector which was not in accordance with the prescribed standard and thereby contravened the provisions of Sections 2(ia)(m) read with 7(i) punishable U/s 16(1)(a)(i) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. It is also proved that he did not disclose the name and address of the person from whom he had purchased the adulterated sunflower oil, when the same was demanded by P.W. Suresh Tiwari, the Food Inspector, and thereby committed contravention of Section 14(a) punishable U/s 16(1)(a)(2) of the P.F.A. Act. The Respondent ought to have been therefore, convicted and sentenced for the commission of said offences.
23. In the result, the appeal is allowed. The impugned judgment of acquittal is partly set aside.
The Respondent is convicted for offences for contravention of provisions of Sections 2(ia) read with 7(i) punishable U/s 16(1)(a)(i) and for Section 14-A punishable U/s 16(1)(a)(2) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and is cumulatively sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for six (6) months and to pay a fine of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees ten thousand), in default to suffer rigorous imprisonment ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 ::: (22) for a period of three (3) months more. The remaining part of the order of acquittal order is however, maintained. The Respondent to immediately surrender to the bail before the learned Magistrate.
(V.R.KINGAONKAR,J.) Authenticated Copy (Pvt.Secy. to Hon'ble Judge) asp/Crappeal33197 ::: Downloaded on - 09/06/2013 14:30:01 :::