Two fined Rs 30K each for selling food items sans licence

Chandigarh, August 29

The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh, has imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 each on two traders for manufacturing and selling food items without licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The court also sentenced the convicts to undergo imprisonment till the rising of the court.

The two traders are Parveen Sharma, proprietor of M/S Sharma Confectioners Products, and Narender Gupta of M/S Jai Durga Confectioners, Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 26, Chandigarh.

The Food Safety Officer Chandigarh (FSO) in the complaints filed before the court said an inspection was carried out on September 2022 on the premises of both accused. During inspection, both were found manufacturing and selling different types of ‘namkeens’ without a food licence.

Counsel of the accused persons argued that no independent witness was associated at the time of challaning the accused. He said neither any sample of food article was taken by the FSO, nor raw material used for preparation was taken into possession and the entire case was false.

After hearing the arguments, the court in separate orders said the prosecution had succeeded in establishing that the accused were manufacturing and selling food items without a licence. In default of payment of fine, they shall undergo simple imprisonment for one month, it added.