Essential Commodities Act

Durga Oil Co., a dealer licensed under Form XI of the Petroleum Rules, stored high‑speed diesel (Petroleum Class B) in an underground tank exceeding 1,000 litres and dispensed it through a pump. The District Supply Officer ordered the company to cease using the tank, and the Allahabad High Court dismissed the company's…

The State of Maharashtra appealed against a Bombay High Court decision that held the chairman and managing committee members of a cooperative society were not "public servants" for purposes of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA). The respondents had been prosecuted for o…

Modern Proteins Ltd., a dealer under the Andhra Pradesh General Sales Tax Act, dealt in groundnut products including deoiled cake and groundnut protein flour. For the 1977-78 assessment year, the Central Tax Officer taxed the flour at 4% under the Central Sales Tax Act, but the Assistant Commissioner re‑classified it a…

The appellants, rice millers, were required under the U.P. Rice and Paddy (Levy and Regulation of Trade) Order, 1985 to sell rice to the State Government. The Market Committee demanded that the millers pay a market fee under Section 17(iii)(b)(3) of the U.P. Krishi Utpadan Mandi Adhiniyam, 1964. The millers contended t…

The Uttar Pradesh legislature amended its 1939 Motor Spirit, Diesel Oil and Alcohol Taxation Act to levy a purchase tax on industrial alcohol, which was challenged as unconstitutional because industrial alcohol is regulated by the Central Government under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951. The respo…

The appellants were convicted by two District Judges whose appointments were later declared invalid for violating Article 233 of the Constitution. The appellants argued that the judgments rendered by those judges were void and that the Constitution (20th Amendment) rendered them a surplusage. The Supreme Court held tha…

The proprietor of Akash Traders filed a criminal complaint against the Managing Director of Britannia Industries Ltd, alleging criminal breach of trust under Section 406 IPC for demand drafts issued for undelivered goods. The company itself was not impleaded, and the appellant was initially discharged by the magistrate…

The Seedsman Association of Hyderabad and two seed companies filed a writ petition under Article 226 challenging the levy of market fee under Section 7 of the Andhra Pradesh (Agricultural Produce and Livestock) Markets Act, 1966 on seeds they produce, process and market. They contended that seeds are not meant for huma…

The appellant, a sandalwood oil manufacturer, was convicted under Section 27(1)(d) of the Kerala Forest Act for allegedly possessing forest produce illicitly removed from a reserved forest. The High Court upheld the conviction, treating the presumption under Section 69 as creating a reverse burden of proof on the accus…

The case concerned whether the Uttar Pradesh Government could fix a "State Advised Price" (SAP) for sugarcane that was higher than the minimum price fixed by the Central Government under the Essential Commodities Act and the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966. The petitioners (U.P. Co‑operative Cane Union Federation and s…

The State of West Bengal appealed against an order of the Director of Consumer Goods that imposed a penalty on R.K.B.K. Ltd., a licensed kerosene oil agent, for alleged excess distribution. The dispute centered on whether the Director or the District Magistrate had authority under Paragraph 9 of the West Bengal Kerosen…

The State of Bihar launched a scheme to establish "Project Schools"—including at least one girls' high school in each block of backward areas—through circulars and a three‑man committee. Disputes arose over whether the identified schools were taken over by the State, whether they should be treated as nationalised schoo…

The Bihar State Co‑operative Marketing Union (BISCOMAUN) was placed under administration by the State Government, after which its administrator, R.K. Singh, reported alleged financial irregularities involving former Managing Director P.P. Sharma, advisor G.D. Mishra and Chairman Tapeshwar Singh in the purchase of sub‑s…

The appellant, Commissioner of Sales Tax, assessed a penalty on the respondent, a roller flour mill dealer, for allegedly realizing excess amounts as wheat purchase tax, sales tax, and octroi beyond what was legally payable under the U.P. Sales Tax Act. The dealer had been authorised by a government notification to rec…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ under Article 32 filed by the registered society "Common Cause" seeking relief for under‑trial prisoners and accused persons in pending criminal matters. The Court observed that prolonged pendency of criminal cases infringes the right to life and liberty guaranteed b…