In Brief
A vendor at a Delhi sweet shop was found storing adulterated ghee meant for making jalebis (sweets) for sale. The trial court convicted him, but the Sessions Court acquitted him, holding that since the ghee itself was not for sale, no offence occurred. The Supreme Court set aside the acquittal, holding that under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (as amended), storing adulterated food for use as an ingredient in articles meant for sale is itself an offence. The Court also rejected the High Court's reliance on alleged variations between the Public Analyst's and Director's test reports, holding that the Director's certificate supersedes and displaces the PA's report entirely. The conviction was restored, but sentence was confined to time already served given the accused's age (70) and the delay since 2004.
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