High Court · 2025

1 Edukulla Shiva Kumar' . S/o'Venkates|amr. Occ- iBysiness' H.no.4-8-18/18/2, veeraona'l"ra"rli'i'ilii'vtirtnagar' Rachakonda District' H'J:'ru8103fl#:3,t fit['i: -ffil':ss, ... ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED' 1 occ Business' ase 24vears' ..'PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND The State of Telangana, F q Uy its Public Prosecutor' High Court for the sia"te-oiretan g an a HYd erabad' The Sub-lnspector of Police' Hayathnagar Police Station' Rachakonda Dist' "'RESPONDENT/COMPIAINANT 2 1 2 Petition under Section 528 of BNSS' praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition' the High Court may be pleased to quash the proceedings in FIR NO 522 ol 2025 On the file of ,"rr*""nar Police Station' Rachakonda District against the Petitioner' r.A. NO: 20F 2025 Petition under Section 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memdrandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition' the High Court may be pleased to direct the respondents/ Hayathnagar Police Station' Rachakonda District to release the property found 1) JL-0'1 Tobacco-1080 Pouches' 2) RR Gold Tobacco-5250 Pouches' 03) SR-1 Tobacco-1050 Pouches' 4) SS- One fobacco-22l Pouches, 5) KP Tobacco-924 Pouches' 6) Swagath Gold Tobacco- 156 pouches, 7) Kp Brack Labre-240 pouches, B) Raja Tobacco-352 pouches' 9) umarao-12 Pouches l0) chaini robacco 105 pouches, .r 1) ,Amt er Tobacco_ 50 Pouches, 12) V-1 Trbacco pouches_210 pouches, 13) RR.l.obacco _560 Pouches, 14) Dh.patti_ 40 pouches, 15) Miraz Khaini_ 22( pcu:hes, t6) Kp Doubre Brack- 1 1c p';u6hs5, worth of Rs.6000/-seized in F^ Nr) 522 0f 2025 on the fire of Haya* nagar porice station, Rachakonda District ir favor of the petitioners. This petitirn c,c,nting on for hearing, upon perusing thr-. t\/,;lnsr.rndum of Grounds of criminal l)t-'tition and upon hearing the arguments o t sri y. BALA I,URALI' AdVOCAIC fCr IhE PCtitiONErS ANd Mr. JITHENDER RAO VEERAMALLA, Additional Public Pros:r:utor (TG) on behalf of the Responderrt N r .r and None Appeared for the lesptndent No.2. The Court made the fo lowing: ORDER '-, THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE N.TUKARAMJI CRIMINAL PETITIO N No. 638 40F 2025 ORDER This Criminal Petition is filed under Section 528 of Bharatiya Nagaiik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short 'BNSS' 2023') seeking quashment of the proceedings, against the petitioner in Crime No'522 of 2025 of Hayathnagar Police Station' Rachakonda District'

2. The petitioner is accused No'l in Crime No'522 of 2025 registered for the offences punishable under Sections 274 and 275 rlw' 3 (5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,2023 (for short 'BNS' 2023') and Section 20 (2) oI the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (for short'COTPA') 2003 J HeardMr.Y.BalaMurali,learnedcounselforthepetitionerand Ir4r.Jithender Rao Veeramalla, learned Additional Public Prosecutor, representing the resPondents

4.Theprosecutioncaseinbriefisthatthepetitioner/accusedNo.l is involved in selling and purchasing the banned Tobacco products and the Police concerned seized the said Tobacco products worth of Rs.6,0001 2 NrR,/ <:r' P.No.6)84 o-f 2025

5. Leilrrrec counser for the petitioner wourd suicrnit that the coordinare Bench of this court vide criminar petitio. N..:1731 0f 2O1g and Batch quzrshed the proceedings against the petitiorers therein by passrng ccnlmcn order dated 27.0g-201g. He further submits that the 2nd resporden: has registered the present crime in vi.ration of the orders passed by this Court. Hence, prayed for cluasrhment of the proceedin<;s against the petitioner in the crime. 6 Learne'd rrdditionar pubric prosecutor wourd sutrnrit that the petitioner ha s trt face either investigation or trial anrJ prove her innocence arrd ,nstead of doing so, she has filed the prest:nt criminal petitlon, which carrnot be considered at this stage. 7 I havr: grer.lr;ed the materials on record.

8. As per the prosecution, on 22.04.2025 at 1l].00 r_rours, the complainanl/Sub.lrspector of police lodged a complainl r:rlleging that the petitioner s running a kirana shop at Veera Bhadrer Nagar, and by purchasing tcbac:r> products banned by the Government frc rrr unknown persons, selling the same at his kirana shop. Accot dingly, the complainant an' his staff apprehended the pe,tioner ,rrd seized tobacco products 1) JL_OI Tobacco (10g0 pouches), 2l RR Gold Tobacco-5250 po.rr:hes, 3) SR_j Tobacco (.1050 pouchers), ,a) SS_-616 Tobacco (2213 p,rr,-n".), 5) Kp Tobacco (924 poucher;), €;) Swagath 3 NTR'/ Crt.P.No.6)81 oJ 2025 GoldTobacco(156Pouches)'7)KPBlackLable(240Pouches)' 8) Raja Tobacco (352 Pouches),9) Umarao (12 Pouches) 10) Chaini Tobacco (105 Pouches), 11) Amber Tobacco (50 Pouches)' 12)V-1 Tobacco (210 Pouches), 13) RR-Tobacco (560 Pouches)' 14) Dhopatti (40 POuches) 15) Miraz Khaini (225 Pouches) 16) KP Double Black (110 Pouches), which were total worth of Rs'6'0001 under cover of panchanama.

9. The related Notification No'501/FSS/lt2O22 daled 07'012022' 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 Tradersv. State of Telangana and others vlde SLA No 20441 of2021 with SLP(C) No.1656 ol 2022' Thereafter' the Director General of Police, Telangana State issued Circular Memorandum in RC No' 295iR1-NS/2022 wilh 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 Authority of lndia and also not to take any coercive measures against the tobacco traders as long as the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court is in force' 10 Having regard to this factual position' a Coordinate Bench of this Court in Crl.P.No.6235 of 2022 and batch held that against the f-" a 4 r\m,/ ('n P.lxo.638t of 2025 allegatiors of iilegar seiling and transportation of tobacco products, the Sections '188, i169, 2ZO, ZZ2,273,228,328 read rvith S;ections 5.1 1, 336, 409 a-td 120 of lp.C., and Sections 20 (1) ancl r,2) of COTpA wourd nor attr'rct and quashed the proceedings against fhe petitioners therein. 11 . ln ther irrstant petition, the prosecution for por;s ession and allegation of serr,'arraigned the offences under sectirn s 274 and 275 r/w. 3 (5) cf ElNrl 2023 and section 20 (2) of corpA, :2oo:,i.

12. As rrotecj irbove, the conclusions drawn in tht-, e:rr ier criminal petition ar() sq(rarely measuring up the predicarnent n the present petition

13. For that reason, the proceedings against the petitir:ner stand unsustainatrre r\ccordingry, this criminal petition dese.rrr-.s positive consideratic n

14. Resultanfly, the Criminal petition is allowed The. proceedings in Crime No.522t of .,>_025 against the p etit ioner/accused No.l Hayathnagar. pcli:e Station, Rachakonda District. ar€ quashed. Trre petitioner-accused No.1 is granted ribe(r to fire appropriate apolication for return of seized property, where rpon the hereby 7 5 lvlRJ Crl.P.No 6)84 of 2025 trial Court is directed to release the seized property to the petitioner on proper acknowledgment' Pending miscellaneous appllcations' if any' shall stand closed //TRUE COPY// SD/. A.V.S. PRASAD D PU TY REGISTRAR ECTION OFFICER To,

1. The XIV - Additional Metropolitan Magistrate' Cyberabad at Hayathnagar' 2. The Station House Officer' Hayathnagar Police Station' Rachakonda' Dist 3. Two CCs to the Public Prosecutor' High Court at Hyderabad' (OUT) 4 One CC to SRI Y' BALA MURALI' Advocate IOPUCI 5. Two CD CoPies RC/gh N- HIGH COL'FIT DATED: 10n6nO2S ORDER CRLP.No.6384 of 2025 i tlE S'l -\l4->\ ( OG o i) 1 3 iljN r0l5 * o I -\tt d . .-.1' (\ c, :" The Criminal F,etition is Allowed. I r( b ln