RAJ KUMAR Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This judgment of mine shall dispose of two appeals, namely, CRA No. 1630-SB of 2002 and CRA No. 1678-SB of 2002 because of having arisen from the common judgment and order dated 30.09.2002 (for short as 'impugned judgment') passed by the learned Special Judge, Rohtak (for short as 'trial Court'), in FIR No. 19 dated 5.1.1996 registered at Police Station, City, Rohtak, under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (for short 'the Act). However, the facts are being derived from CRA No. 1630-SB of 2002.

(2.) The present criminal appeals have been preferred by the accused-Appellants, namely, Raj Kumar and Ravi Raj, challenging the judgment and order dated 30.09.2002, passed by the learned trial Court, thereby convicting the accused (herein Appellants) for committing offence under Section 7 of the Act for selling LPG in black market and sentencing each of them to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of six months and to pay a fine of Rs. 1000/- and in default of payment of fine, to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month each.

(3.) The brief facts of the case, as set up by the prosecution, are that on 5.1.1996, a compliant was lodged by the complainant-Rajesh Kumar, with the Deputy Commissioner, Rohtak, to the following effect: