High Court · 2025

The State of Telangana, Rep by its Public Prosecutor, High Court for the State of Telangana HYderabad. The Sub-lnspector of Police, Jangaon Police Station, Warangal Dist' 1 2 ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANTS Petition under Section 528 of BNSS, 2023 praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of criminal Petition, the HighCourtmaybepleasedtoquashtheproceedingsinFlRNo.l53ot2025on tn6 tte of Janglon Police Station, Warangal District against the Petitioner; l.A. NO: 2 OF 2025 Petition under Section 528 of BNSS, 2023 praying that in the circumstbnces stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of criminal Petition,the High court may be pleased to direct the respondents / Jangaon Police station, Wlrangat District to release the property 1) Ambar-01 bag (100 Packets X 5000 = sO,OdO/_), 2) M_Gotd _32 (32 packers x 1000 = 32,00ot ).3) Swagath Gotd-1 14 (114'Packets'X500=57,000t-),4)BlueBull(O8-bags,eachbagcontains25 packets)-20o(200Packetsx250=50'000/.),5)ShukriyaTobacco(12bags)- 2iz tzs2 paciets_ X 500 = 1,26.000-), 6) SR_1 Tobacco- 104 (1O4 packets x 50 =s,zool_1, 7) Anai Tobacco- 25 (25 packets X 500 = 12,5001,), 8) Black Label Tobacco_ 56 (50 packets X 50 = 2,5OOt-),9) Baba BtackZardha- 90 (90 Packets x 250 = 22,5OOl-).10) JJ Tobacco- 52 (52 Packets X 500 = 26.000/-), 11) Hero Tobacco- 25 (25 Packets X 200 = 5,000/-), 12)v-1 Tobacco (04 bags each bag contains 50 packets)- 2OO (2OO Packets X 50 = 10 000/-), 13) JK-3320 (47 Boxes, each box coniains 10 packets)- 470 (470 packets X 200 = 94,000/-), 14) ss-l Tobacco- 35 (35 Packets X 50 = 1,75O-), all wRS. 4.94.4501-. seized in FIR NO. 153 of 2025 Cin the file of Jangaon Police Station, Warangal District in favor of the petitioner no.1 ; This Petition ci)rning on for hearing,upon perusinq th,: M,rrnorandum of Grounds of Crirrir a I F)etition and upon hearing the arguments of Sri BALA MURALI Y, Advocate fc,r the Petitioners and Sri Jithender Rac Ver,rramalla, Addl. Public Proseculor r;n tre'half of the Respondents; The Court made th,: following: ORDER THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE N.TUKARAMJI CR!M!NAL P ETITION No.487 5 oF 2025 ORDER ThisCriminalPetitionisfiledunderSection52BofBharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short 'BNSS, 2023') seeking quashment of the proceedings, against the petitioner/accused No.1 in F.l.R.No.153 of 2025 on the file of the Jangoan Police Station' Warangal District.

2. The petitioner is arrayed as sole accused in Crime No'153 of 2025 registered for the offences punishable under Sections 272,275 of the BNS

3.HeardMr.Y'BalaMurali,learnedcounselforthepetitionerand Mr.Jithender Rao Veeramalla, learned Additional Public Prosecutor' representing the resPondents'

4.Theprosecutioncaseinbriefisthatthepetitioner/accusedis involvedinsellingandpurchasingthebannedTobaccoproductsand the Police concerned has seized the said Tobacco products worth of Rs.4,94,450/- from the possession of the petitioner'

5.LearnedcounselforthepetitionerwouldsubmitthataCoordinate Bench of this Court vide Criminal Petition Nos'3731 and Batch on / 2 r\rTR,,r (t1.1 .lto.137i of 2025 considering similar allegations and the merits quashed the irroceedings against th€, oelitioner therein. He further submits l.rrrt the 2nd respondent has 'ergistered the present crime in violation cI the orders passed by this C:urt. Hence, prayed for quashment of the )roceedings against the ltetitiorrer in the crime.

6. Learned ,Additional Public Prosecutor would subnril that the petitioner has be,:n found with the Tobacco products and irvestigation is pending. H.wr:rrer fairly admitted that in the authorrty rrited by the petitioner in the s imilar circumstances, the proceedings arlainst the petitioner therrein rvere quashed.

7. I have perru;r>d the materials on record. B. As per the prosecution, on 26.03.2025 at 19.30 hcurs, the complainanuSLb-lnspector of police lodged a comolaint alleging that the petitioner is ilk:galry selling Gutka packers in his godown ,lt Jangaon town, and retailirr(r tobacco products by procuring trom unknown persons and seized tobacco products 1) Ambar-o1 bag t10c ;>ackets x 5000 = 50,00r)/-, 2)M-Gold-32 (32 packets x 100C ,= 1\2.OOO!_), 3)Swagath Gold-114 (114 packets x 500 = 37,4OOl_),4) Bttre Bult (08 bags, each trarJ r;c,ntains 25 packets) - 2OO (2OO packets x250 = 50,000/-), 5) rihuk-i,ra Tobacco (13 bags) _ 252 (25?- packe:s x 500 = 1,26,000|-),6rSiR-t Tobacco - 104 (104 packets x 50 = 5,20(r) t) Anar -..J\ 3 Nr&/ CrlP.No.{875 of 2025 Tobacco - 25 (25 packets x 500 = 12,5OOl-),8) Black Label Tobacco - 50 (50 packets x 50 =2,5001), 9) Baba Black Zardha - 90 (90 packets x 250 = 22,5OOl-), 20) JJ Tobacco -52 (52 packets x 500 = 26'000/-)' 1 1 ) Hero Tobacco 25 (25 packets x 200 =5,0001-), 12) V-l Tobacco (04 bags each bag contains 50 packets)-200 (200 packets x 50 = 10,0001)' 13) JK-3320 (47 Boxes, each box contains 10 packets) - 47O (470 packets x 200 = 94,000/-), 14) SS-l Tobacco-35 (35 packets x 50 = 1,7501-) total worth of Rs.4,94,450/- from the possession of the petitioner under the cover of panchanama.

9. lt is pertinent to note that the related Notification No.501/FSS/l/2022 dated 07.01.2022, prohibiting manufacturing, storing, distribution, transportation and sale of gutka and pan masala in the entire State of Telangana, has been stayed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of lndia in Shri Venkateshwara Traders v' State of Telangana andothers vrdeSLANo.20441 of 2021 withSLP(C)No.1656 of 2022. Thereafter, the Director General of Police, Telangana State issued circular Memorandum in RC.No.295/R1-NS/2022with directions to the Station House Officers not to interfere with the business activities, who carry out the business as per rules of Food Safety and Standards \ I Authority of lndia and also not to take any coercive measures against the tobacco traders as long as the order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court .is in force. 4 NTnrr () i.[ l.io.1E75 of 2025

10. Having regard to similar factual position in the crin irral petition relied on by the ltr:titioner vide Crl.P.No.6235 ol 2022 held ttrat against the allegations o1 illegal sale and transportation of tobac:co ;-rrcducts the accusations undr:r Sections 188, 269, 270,272, ?-73,2711,328 read with Sectiors 5'1 1 336, 409 and 420 of LP.C., cannol be rnaintained and quashe(J t'te proceedings against the petitioners therein

11. ln thr: instant petition, the prosecution for poss,:)sision and allegation ol sale arraigned the offences under Sections,,tl'2,275 of BNS, 2023 ar; rroted above, the conclusions drawn in ilre earlier criminal petiticn a.e squarely measuring up the predicanrernt in the present petition, f c. that reason, the proceedings against the petitioner stand unsul;ta inirb,le. Accordingly, this Criminal petitior deserves positive cons id,:ra tion.

12. Resultinntly. :he Criminal Petition is. allowed. Tl,e p.6r6sq6;.r, against the petrtiorr:r/accused No.1 in Crime No.153 of 2,.021, on the file of the Jangaon Pcli:e Station, Warangal District, are hererby rlrrashed. Pending rnis,cellaneous applications, if any, shall stand c osed //TRUE COPYII SD/. A.\/.IS. PRASAD DEPIJTY REGISTRAR SECTI,)N OFFICER To, W '1. The Station lJousr: rlfficer, Jangoan P.S., Warangal 2. One CC to tiRl EA,LA MURALI Y Advocate [OPUC] 3. Two CCs to PLIBL lO PROSECUTOR, High Court at Hyderabad (3UT) 4. Two CD Copier; HIGH COURT DATED:0910,41'2025 ',-l61 ,=F;s* 1)t \1 i)i 13 Jill.| ,lu5 o /a' :'-t'-:t)-i ORDER CRLP.No.48i'5 <rt 2025 ALLOWING l'HE: CRIMINAL PETITION 4 .L t 1 \b