MALLAN Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Criminal Appeal has been against the Judgment in Calender Case No.151 of 2012 on the file of the Additional Sessions Judge/Special Court for Essential Commodities Act Cases, Coimbatore dtd. 26/7/2013.

(2.) The appellants along with three other accused, viz.,Guruchithan, Ravi and Veeran are prosecuted by the Forest Range Officer, Asanur Forest in Crime No.1 of 2012 for having cultivated the Ganja (Cannabis) plant at the Kethasal forest settlement area. They were charged under Sec. 45(a), (b) and 51 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 and under Sec. 8 (b) r/w 20 (a) (i) of the NDPS Act 1985 (herein after referred to as "The act"), before the Special Court for Essential Commodities Act cases, Coimbatore.

(3.) In the course of trial, the prosecution examined altogether 11 witnesses (P.W's.1 to 11) and filed 15 documents (Exs.P.1 to 15), besides marked 2 Material Objects (M.O's.1 and 2).