Full Text
HIGH COURT OF DELHI
JUDGMENT
FOOD INSPECTOR ..... Petitioner
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the Petitioner : Ms Isha Khanna, APP For the Respondents : None
1. The present is a petition for grant of leave to appeal against the impugned order dated 04.01.2010 passed by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate-II, New Delhi, in CC No.03/1999 whereby the respondents have been acquitted of the charges levelled against them.
2. To briefly encapsulate, it is stated that Food Inspector S.P. Singh purchased a sample of mustard oil from the respondents on 12.08.1998 at about
01.30 p.m. After taking the sample the Food Inspector divided the sample into 2015:DHC:4787-DB three equal parts by putting them in clean and dry bottle and each bottle containing the sample was separately packed, fastened and sealed according to the PFA Act and Rules. The respondents’ signatures were also obtained on the paper slip and the wrapper of the sample. One counterpart of the sample was sent to the Public Analyst in intact condition and two counter parts were deposited with the LHA. Upon analysis the PA found that the said sample does not conform to standard as it shows presence of argemone oil. The respondents were charged under Section 2(ia)(a)(m) of PFA Act punishable under Section 16(1)(a) read with Section 7 of the PFA Act and Rules to which they pleaded not guilty.
3. The only contention that was raised before the Trial Court was whether the sample taken was representative or not. It was pointed out on behalf of the respondents that there was vast variation between the report of PA and the Director, CFL which establishes that the sample was not representative.
4. The Trial Court relied upon the decision of this court in Kanshi Nath vs. State, 2005 (2) FAC 219, Delhi High Court, wherein it was held as follows:- “............. To this extent, the argument raised by Mr. Sharma that once the certificate of the Director, CFL is obtained, then that is final and conclusive and the Public Analyst's report cannot be looked into at all for any purpose whatsoever, is not quite tenable. If the variation in the two reports is substantial enough, then the Public Analyst's report can certainly be looked into to establish this variation so as to support the contention of the petitioner that the sample was not representative. As indicated above, the Director, CFL who was examined as CW-1 in cross-examination, has clearly stated that if the content of common salt as quantified by the two experts would have a variation of more than- Y.3% then the samples would not be representative. This is an opinion of an expert and one has to go by it. In the facts of the present case, we find that the variation, as indicated above, is more thanY.3%. Therefore, on the facts of the present case, it can be said that 7 the variation is beyond the acceptable range and would clearly imply that the samples were not representative. In view of this finding and in the background of the law which is well settled, no conviction can be sustained.”
5. Placing reliance upon the aforesaid decision of this court in Kanshi Nath (supra), the Trial Court came to the conclusion that the prosecution had failed to establish that the sample was representative. It was observed by the Trial Court in this behalf as follows:-
6. In view of the decision of this court in Kanshi Nath (supra) the arguments made on behalf of the State by the learned APP that the trial court should have only considered the CFL report and not the PA report holds no ground as the perusal of the trial court judgment reveals substantial variance in PA report and the CFL report. The PA report delineates that the test of argemone oil is positive and the BTT value is within the prescribed limit. Whereas in the report of Director CFL the test for argemone oil is negative and BTT value is above the prescribed limit. The State has not satisfactorily explained the said variance.
7. Consequently, the Trial Court came to the conclusion that the petitioner herein has failed to prove that the sample was homogenized and representative and resultantly acquitted the respondents.
8. I see no reason to differ with the conclusion arrived at by the Trial Court passed based on the discussion extracted hereinabove. Consequently, the present petition seeking leave to appeal is without merit and the same is dismissed.
SIDDHARTH MRIDUL, J MAY 26, 2015 dn