Justice G R Swaminathan observed that the petitioner firmly states that he is an agriculturist based in Thiruvannamalai district and he had brought the paddy for sale in Thanjavur district as he was told that he would get better price.
HC clean chit for farmer accused of smuggling PDS rice
Kaushik Kannan | TNN | Jun 15, 2020, 04:27 IST+1AA
Madurai: Madras high court quashed an FIR registered against a farmer, citing that he had produced proof to show that he was transporting his own agricultural produce and was not smuggling rice meant for Public Distribution System.
REMOVE ADSThe court was hearing a petition filed by Rethinam Setti who sought to quash the case, which was registered against him by Sethubavachathiram police in Thanjavur district under Sections 420 of IPC and Section 7(1) (a) (ii) of Essential Commodities Act on February 23.
The case was registered on doubts about the genuineness of 256 bags of paddy transported by the petitioner in a lorry.
Hearing the plea, Justice G R Swaminathan observed that the petitioner firmly states that he is an agriculturist based in Thiruvannamalai district and he had brought the paddy for sale in Thanjavur district as he was told that he would get better price.
The judge said that the petitioner has produced the proof before this court that he is actually engaged in agriculture and there is nothing on record to indicate that there has been any violation in any of the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act.
“It is a matter of sadness that when the state is encouraging farmers and agriculturists, they are being harassed in this fashion,” observed the judge.
Observing that this cannot constitute as a crime or an offence by any standards, the judge quashed the case and directed to return the vehicle along with the paddy to the petitioner.
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