Chandigarh: Shop owner fined for trading sans food licence

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh October 2

The court of Cheif Judicial Magistrate Dr Aman Inder Singh Sandhu imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on a shopkeeper for selling food items for human consumption without having a licence mandatory under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The court also sentenced the convict, Manish Rajwanshi, the owner of Aaradhya Misthan at Dariya village, to undergo imprisonment till the rising of the court.

In a complaint filed before the court, the Food Safety Officer, UT, stated that during an inspection at Aaradhya Misthan on October 31, 2018, the accused was found preparing and selling barfi, milk cake, kalakand, etc, without having food licence.

A notice of accusation was served upon the accused for the offence under Section 26(2)(iii) and 31(1) of the Food Safety Act, punishable under Section 63 of the Act, to which the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

On the other hand, the counsel for the accused stated that the shop owner was falsely implicated in the case.

After hearing of the arguments, the court stated that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing that the accused was found preparing and selling barfi, milk cake, kalakand, etc, for human consumption a food licence.

Further, it also came on record that earlier on December 5, 2018, too the accused was convicted for the same offence. In view of this, the court sentenced the convict to undergo imprisonment till rising of the court and pay a fine of 30,000 for the offence punishable under Sections 63 and 64 (1) of the Act.

In default of the payment of fine, the convict shall undergo simple imprisonment for one month.