DOLATRAY VITTHALBHAI OD Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner has preferred this petition under Article 227 of the Constitution of India to get the custody of muddamal vehicle being Truck SE 1613 B52 COWL, RA109RR (Tata Motors Ltd.) having registration number GJ-07-UU-9729, which is seized by police in connection with FIR being C.R.No.11822006201473 of 2020 registered with Bilimora Police station, District : Navsari for offences punishable under sections 65(A), 65(E), 98(2) and 81 etc. of the Gujarat Prohibition Act.

(2.) Learned advocate for the petitioner, submits that the petitioner being the owner of muddamal vehicle moved an application under section 451 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 ['the code for short] before the learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gandevi for interim custody of the vehicle during the pendency of the Trial of the case. The learned Magistrate rejected the application essentially on the ground of bar contained in section 98(1) of the Prohibition Act and the quantum of sentence prescribed for the offence. The petitioner assailed the order of the learned Magistrate by preferring the Criminal Revision Application No. 56 of 2020 in the Sessions Court, Navsari. Learned Sessions Judge, Navsari, by his judgement dated 29.10.2020, confirmed the order passed by the learned Magistrate. The petitioner is therefore, before this Court with the present petition.

(3.) Rule returnable forthwith. Learned APP waives service of notice of rule on behalf of the respondent-State. With consent of the learned advocates for the parties, the matter has taken up for final disposal today.