SHAM LAL Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner was tried, convicted and sentenced to R.I. for one year and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,000/ -, in default R.I. for four months under Section 16(1)(a)(i) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jind vide his order dated 24.2.1982. The appeal was carried to the Court of Session where it failed substantially inasmuch as that the sentence of imprisonment was reduced from R.I. for one year to R.I. for six months. The petitioner has come up in revision to this Court. The same was admitted by S.S. Dewan, J. on January 20, 1984.

(2.) THE petitioner is a young man and student of M.A. Part I. He is not a previous convict. The alleged offence was committed in the year 1979. Since then he is facing the ordeal of trial. He is on bail under orders of this Court since January 20, 1984. I think no useful purpose will be served by sending this young man to jail at this stage. I feel grounds are made out for awarding lesser sentence than the minimum prescribed under the law. Consequently, I reduce the sentence of the petitioner to one already undergone. However, the fine is converted into litigation charges payable to the State. But for this modification, the petition fails and is hereby dismissed. Petition dismissed.