Ramkaran v. State of Rajasthan) vide which criminal appeal filed by the

: Mr. Jitendra Singh Rathore, AGA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE BHUWAN GOYAL Judgment 01/08/2025

1. Learned Addl. Government Advocate has submitted the report dated 29.07.2025 sent by the S.H.O. Police Station Sadar, District Alwar.

3. As per the report, sole petitioner is alive. Report is taken on record.

4. With the consent of learned counsel for the parties, revision petition is heard today.

5. The present revision petition under Section 397 read with Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, has been filed by the accused-petitioner – Ramkaran against Judgment and Order dated 12.09.2007 passed by Additional Sessions Judge (Fast Track) No. 1, Alwar (hereinafter referred to as "appellate court") in Criminal Appeal No. 56/2006 (Ramkaran vs. State of Rajasthan) vide which criminal appeal filed by the accused-petitioner against [2025:RJ-JP:29531] (2 of 6) [CRLR-1034/2007] the Judgment and Order of Sentence dated 16.09.2004 passed by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate No. 1, Alwar (hereinafter referred to as "trial court") in Criminal Case No. (395/2000) 418/2000, convicting and sentencing him for the offence under section 7/16 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act to undergo six months simple imprisonment with fine of Rs. 1,000/- and in default of payment of fine to further undergo one month’s additional simple imprisonment, was dismissed.

6. Facts of the case in short are that on 19.10.2000, Ramniwas Gupta, the then Food Inspector submitted a complaint before the trial court to the effect that on 03.06.2000 at 10.00 a.m., he went to inspect the sale of milk at Kati Ghati, Alwar, where he found accused-petitioner taking milk on a motor-cycle for sale, who was stopped and checked then, 30 kgs. of milk was found adulterated out of which 750 ml. of milk was purchased and sealed on the spot in bottles. The said samples were sent for testing, in which milk sample was found to be adulterated etc. Afterwards, challan was submitted for the offence under Section 7/16 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (hereinafter referred to as “PFA Act”). The trial court framed charge for the aforesaid offence and trial was commenced. After conclusion of trial, the trial court passed judgment and order of sentence dated

16.09.2004 convicting and sentencing him for the offence under Section 7/16 of PFA Act, as stated above. Aggrieved by judgment of conviction and sentence dated 16.09.2004, accused-petitioner preferred an appeal before the learned appellate court, which passed the Judgment & Order dated 12.09.2007 dismissing appeal [2025:RJ-JP:29531] (3 of 6) [CRLR-1034/2007] and affirming judgment of the trial court. Hence, this criminal revision petition has been preferred by the accused-petitioner.

8. Heard learned counsel for the parties. After arguing the matter on merits at some length, learned counsel for the accused-petitioner does not wish to press instant revision petition challenging judgments passed by the courts below qua conviction and prefers to make submissions on the point of sentence only.

9. Learned counsel for the accused-petitioner has submitted that incident in the present case took place way back in the year 2000 i.e. more than 25 years ago; accused-petitioner was 35 years of age at the time of incident and now he is around 60 years old and facing agony of trial since last more than 25 years; accused-petitioner who is sole bread earner in the family, belongs to poor strata of society and remained in custody for a period of fifteen days and there is no previous conviction recorded against the accused-petitioner, therefore, he prays that ends of justice would meet if a lenient view is taken in the matter and sentence of imprisonment awarded to the accused-petitioner is reduced to the period already undergone by him.

10. Learned counsel for the accused-petitioner has relied upon the judgment of Hon'ble Supreme Court in Haripada Das vs. State of W.B. & anr. reported in (1998) 9 SCC 678, Harbhajan Singh vs. State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Revision No. 43/1999) decided on 24.02.1999, Laxmi Narain vs. State of Rajasthan & anr. (S.B. Criminal Revision No. 495/1972) decided on 26.08.1977 and the judgment of [2025:RJ-JP:29531] (4 of 6) [CRLR-1034/2007] Hon’ble Punjab & Haryana High Court in the case of Narinder Kumar vs. State of Haryana (MANU/PH/1056/2008).

11. Per contra, learned Public Prosecutor while opposing the revision petition, submits that looking to the overall facts and circumstances of the case and the well reasoned speaking orders passed by the courts below, sentence awarded by the trial court cannot be said to be disproportionate, therefore, no interference in sentence is warranted in this case.

12. I have considered the arguments advanced at the Bar and have gone through judgments passed by both the courts below and record of the case as also judgments cited in this case.

13. Since the revision petition against conviction of the accused- petitioner is not pressed on merits and after perusing the record, nothing is noticed which requires interference in the finding of guilt reached by the courts below, this Court does not wish to interfere in the judgments passed by courts below qua conviction of the accused-petitioner. Accordingly, the judgments passed by the courts below qua conviction of the accused-petitioner are maintained.

14. As far as quantum of sentence is concerned, a perusal of record transpires that accused-petitioner, who was only 35 years young boy at the time of incident, has already suffered the agony of protracted trial, spanning over a period of more than 25 years and he remained incarcerated for some time after passing of the judgment, and no evidence regarding previous conviction of the accused-petitioner is produced on record. [2025:RJ-JP:29531] (5 of 6) [CRLR-1034/2007]

15. This Court is conscious of the judgments rendered in Alister Anthony Pareira Vs. State of Maharashtra : (2012) 2 SCC 648 and Haripada Das Vs. State of W.B. : (1998) 9 SCC 678, wherein, the Hon'ble Apex Court observed as under:- Alister Anthony Pareira (Supra) “There is no straitjacket formula for sentencing an accused on proof of crime. The courts have evolved certain principles: twin objective of the sentencing policy is deterrence and correction. What sentence would meet the ends of justice depends on the facts and circumstances of each case and the court must keep in mind the gravity of the crime, motive for the crime, nature of the offence and all other attendant circumstances.” Haripada Das (Supra) “…considering the fact that the respondent had already undergone detention for some period and the case is pending for a pretty long time for which he had suffered both financial hardship and mental agony and also considering the fact that he had been released on bail as far back as on 17-1-1986, we feel that the ends of justice will be met in the facts of the case if the sentence is reduced to the period already undergone…”

16. After perusing judgments and orders impugned, considering the submissions of learned counsel for the parties and the precedent law on the issue, this Court is of the opinion that if at this stage, accused-petitioner is sent behind bars, it will result into reviving old enmity and the same will not be conducive for peace and harmony in the village and that family of the petitioner will also suffer, therefore, no fruitful purpose would be served by sending him to jail now. Therefore, considering the mitigating circumstance in this case that the petitioner is undergoing agony of this protracted trial for the last 25 years, he can be [2025:RJ-JP:29531] (6 of 6) [CRLR-1034/2007] compensated suitably by reducing the substantive sentence imposed upon him to the one already undergone by him.

17. Consequently, the judgments dated 12.09.2007 and

16.09.2004 passed by both the courts below qua conviction of the accused-petitioner for the offence under Section 7/16 of the PFA Act are affirmed but the quantum of sentence for the offence under section 7/16 of the PFA Act, awarded to the accused- petitioner by the trial court and affirmed by the appellate court is modified and reduced to the period already undergone by him, which would be sufficient and justifiable to serve interest of justice. The accused-petitioner is on bail. He need not to surrender. His bail bonds are discharged.

18. The revision petition stands disposed of with aforesaid modification in the order of sentence.

19. A copy of this order along with records be sent to the trial court forthwith. INDER/28 (BHUWAN GOYAL),J