Bharat
Prasad Gupta Vs. State of West Bengal [1995] INSC
534 (26 September 1995)
Anand,
A.S. (J) Anand, A.S. (J) Nanavati G.T. (J) Dr. Anand. J.
CITATION:
1996 AIR 1043 JT 1995 (7) 191 1995 SCALE (5)541
ACT:
HEAD NOTE:
Leave
granted.
According
to the prosecution case, on 22.8.1977 Dr. A.K. Layek and Dr. Naresh Chandra Sen
lodged a written complaint with the Officer Incharge of Andal Police Station to
the effect that one lady, Ledu Ruidas, had come to the clinic of Dr. Layek at
about 9.00 a.m. with septic abortion.
She
was three months pregnant and her treatment had been mishandled with
instruments and medicines (injections, tablets etc.) by the appellant herein in
his dispensary and since the patient was complaining of vaginal discharge and
fever with lower abdominal pain, they had advised her to visit the hospital for
proper treatment. On receipt of the complaint, investigation was taken in hand
and from the dispensary of the appellant some instruments besides allopathic
medicines which stood exhibited for sale were seized. The appellant is a
practitioner of Ayurvedic system of medicine and did not possess any licence
for the sale, storage or exhibition for sale of any allopathic medicine.
The
instruments and allopathic medicines (about 41 items) were taken into
possession through a seizure memo and were secured in a parcel by the raiding
party which comprised of the police officials and independent panches. The
appellant was challaned for an offence under Section 27 of the Drugs and
Cosmetics Act, 1940 (hereinafter referred to as `the Act') readwith West Bengal
Act of 1973. On the appellant pleading not guilty, the trial commenced before
the learned Sessions Judge. After recording the prosecution evidence, the Trial
Court found the case against the appellant to have been established and
convicted the appellant for the said offence and sentenced him to suffer one
year RI and to pay a fine of Rs.500/- and in default to suffer further RI for
three months. The appellant unsuccessfully questioned his conviction and
sentence through an appeal before the High Court of Calcutta. Subsequently,
even a Review Petition filed by the appellant for reconsideration of the
judgment of the High Court dated 17.4.1990 was rejected. By special leave, the
appellant is before us.
Mr.
U.R. Lalit, learned Sr. counsel appearing for the appellant submitted that
there was no proof available on the record to establish that the seized drugs
were "allopathic" medicines falling within the definition of Section
2(b) of the Act in the absence of any expert opinion of the chemical examiner
in that behalf. Learned counsel also submitted that the mere possession of the
allopathic medicines, without a licence, would not be an offence, unless it is
established that the medicines were meant either for sale or were stocked for
exhibition or had been manufactured for sale.
The
prosecution examined eight witnesses at the trial including the complainant.
The appellant did not lead any evidence in defence. Though in an appeal by
special leave, this court generally does not reappreciate the evidence,
considered by two courts below, but to satisfy our judicial conscious we have
examined the evidence to find out whether the findings recorded by both the
courts below are based on proper appreciation of evidence. We find that PW-3 Kumat
Kanti Roy who knew both Dr. Layek and Dr. Naresh Chandra Sen as well as the
appellant desposed that the appellant had a dispensary at Ukhra and that he had
been to the dispensary of the appellant and had joined the police party when
they visited the dispensary of the appellant. In his presence some medicines
which were exhibited and were lying in stock and some instruments were seized
by the police. A seizure list was prepared which was signed by him. During the
cross- examination he was only asked whether the appellant had a `medicine
shop' or not to which the witness replied `that the appellant had no medicine
shop'. This would be insignificant because during his examination-in-chief he
had deposed that the appellant was running a dispensary. PW-4, Arun Kumar Majhi
corroborated the evidence of PW-3 and went on to add that the appellant used to
administer medicines to the patients and that seizure of the medicines and
instruments had taken place in his presence. PW-5, Narayan Chandra Banerjee, a
resident of Ukhra also deposed that he knew the appellant and had seen patients
coming to his dispensary and that the police had seized the allopathic
medicines and instruments from the same dispensary. He is also a witness to the
seizure memo prepared at that time.
PW-7, Sudhir
Chandra Guria who had partly conducted the investigation, but had since
retired, specifically deposed about the seizure of about 41 items of allopathic
medicines and instruments from the dispensary of the appellant. He had prepared
the seizure lists duly attested by panch witnesses.
The
appellant could not produce any licence or permit for those medicines and had
no explanation to offer for the stock of those medicines which were exhibited
for sale in his dispensary. Further investigation had been taken up by PW-8, Chittaranjan
Debnath who deposed about the other steps taken by him during the investigation
of the case. The Trial Court discussed the entire evidence with great details
and repelled the submissions that in the facts and circumstances of this case
the offence against the appellant was not made out. The High Court agreed with
the findings recorded by the Trial Court and dismissed the appeal. The High
Court also opined that by keeping in his possession the allopathic medicines
and exhibiting the same for sale in his dispensary, the appellant had
contravened the provisions of Section 18(c) of the Act and therefore had been
rightly convicted by the trial court for the offence under Section 27 of the
Act. On the basis of the material on the record and keeping in view the
ingredients of the offence, we agree with the trial court and the High Court
that the prosecution has established the case against the appellant beyond a
reasonable doubt. We cannot persuade ourselves to agree with Mr. Lalit that the
proof on the record does not show that the medicines seized from the appellant
were allopathic medicines or that the same did not fall within the definition
of drugs under Section 2(b) of the Act. The appellant did not offer any such
explanation at any stage of the investigation/trial nor led any evidence in defence
on that aspect.
Mr. Lalit
then submitted that the sentence in this case is harsh and severe. We find
force in that submission.
The
appellant on the prosecution's own showing is an Ayurvedic practioner running a
dispensary. Both the High Court and the trial court did not find him guilty of
causing the abortion of Ledu Ruidas by use of any injection or medicine or
instruments for lack of sufficient evidence. He has been convicted for having
in his possession for sale and exhibiting the stock of allopathic medicines in
his dispensary without a licence. The mitigating circumstances for reduction of
the sentence as pointed out by Mr. Lalit, the learned senior advocate, which
have been stated on affidavit by the appellant himself also are :
"The
prosecution has been continuing since 1977. The petitioner has already
undergone severe mental agony. He is the only bread earner in the family. He
has eight children - 3 daughters and five sons. The second and third daughter
are of 21 years and 18 years of age respectively. The Petitioner has to arrange
for their marriage. All the children except the first two daughter's are school
going. His wife does not do any job.
He has
to look after his widowed sister-in-law who has four children - all daughters.
Her two daughters are to be married by the petitioner.
With
such a huge family to be fended, the imprisonment of the petitioner would mean
total collapse of the family." After the conviction of the appellant was
upheld by the High Court, he filed a special leave petition in this Court.
He
furnishing proof of surrender dated 10th July, 1990 and notice was thereafter issued in
the SLP. The appellant was admitted to bail by an order of this Court dated 3rd August, 1990 but he was actually released on
bail only after the modification of the bail order dated 3.8.1990 by an order
dated 9.9.1990, made by this Court. The appellant had also remained for some
period in custody during the trial and as an undertrial. During the period the
appellant had remained on bail, it is not disputed before us, he has not in any
way abused the concession of bail or indulged in any objectionable activity.
The appellant has been on bail since 1990. He was on bail during the trial and
during the pendency of the appeal in the High Court as well. Keeping in view
the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case and the comparatively small
quantity of the allopathic medicines recovered from his dispensary and the fact
that the proceedings have continued for almost two decades, in our opinion, the
interest of justice would be met by maintaining his conviction as recorded by
the Trial Court and upheld by the High Court but reducing the sentence of imprisonment
to the period already undergone by him. We make an order accordingly. The bail
bonds of the appellant shall stand discharged.
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