In Brief
The appellant was convicted under the Kerala Abkari Act, 1971 for illegal possession of 4.5 litres of arrack and 3.75 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor. The trial court sentenced him to one year imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1,00,000. The High Court reduced the imprisonment to nine months. The Supreme Court, noting that the appellant had already spent approximately thirty-five days in custody, modified the sentence to time already served while confirming the penalties. The Court held that considering the gravity of the offence and quantum of liquor seized, the interest of justice was adequately served by reducing the imprisonment term accordingly.
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