PUBLIC PROSECUTOR ANDHRA PRADESH Vs. NARKIDIMILLI SRIRAMBHADRAYYA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These criminal appeals and revisions arise out of the Judgment and order of acquittal by the Sessions Judge, East Godavary, under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. Several persons were convicted of the charge of adulteration of milk, ghee and pulses under Section 16(1) and Section 7 read with Section 2(i)(a) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, hereinafter called "the Act. They were convicted and fined but on appeal the Sessions Judge acquitted them on the ground that the Sanitary Inspectors, who were appointed as Food Inspectors under Section 9 of the Act, were not properly appointed in exercise of the powers confened by the Section, and consequently they were not authorised to make complaints under Section 20 of the Act. In this view, he held that the trials were without jurisdiction and, therefore, quashed the convictions and set aside the orders of fine imposed on several of the accused.

(2.) Appeals 142, 143 and 145 to 148 are cases in which the accused pleaded guilty, and under Section 412 they appealed to the Sessions Judge on the legality or propriety of the sentence.

(3.) Appeals Nos. 138 to 150 excluding the above six cases viz., 142, 143 and 145 to 148 are cases in which the Sessions Judge did not go into the merits of the cases.