RAMACHANDRAN Vs. SUPERINTENDENT REGULATED MARKET ALANGUDI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS is a criminal revision case against the judgment of the learned Sessions Judge, Pudukkottai, dismissing Criminal Appeal No. 274 of 1975, and confirming the conviction of the accused in C.C. No. 564 of 1975 on the file of the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Pudukkottai.

(2.) THE accused was prosecuted for an offence under section 25 and section 6(1) and 6 (6) of the Tamil Nadu Agucultural Produce Markets Act (XXIII of 1959) (to be referred to hereafter as the Act) and the Rules and Bye-laws framed thereundei, on the allegation that he being a dealer in groundnut, which is a notified agricultural produce, fraudulently evaded payment of licence fee of Rs.25-50 to the Tiruchirapalli Market Committee, Tiruchirapalli, prescribed by the said Committee as per its Byelaw No. 21 and did not renew the licence for the financial year 1974-75 on or before 30th April, 1974, and thereby contravened the provisions of sections 6 (1) and 6(6) of the Act and the Bye-laws of the Committee.

(3.) BEFORE parting with this case, I must point out that the prosecution fails on account of the laches of the enforcement authority. Why action was not taken in time is a matter to be probed into by the higher authorities concerned. Revision allowed accused acquitted.