TEAM HERALD
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VASCO: Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Vasco convicted a vendor, the proprietor of a shop and a manufacturer in connection with adulterated food items.
JMFC convicted the Shashikant Dessai (vendor) and Uday Dessai (proprietor) of M/s U V Dessai, Vasco, for allegedly selling/storing/distributing ‘Tomato cheese balls’ and the manufacturer, S S Gruhaudyog of Umbargao-Gujarat, for the manufacture of tomato cheese balls.
The food items were declared ‘adulterated’ by the Public Analyst Goa, Food & Drugs Laboratory, Bambolim, for the presence of added synthetic food colour tartazine, where the use of colour otherwise is not permitted under the law in such food articles.
The sample of tomato cheese balls was drawn on March 18, 2011, by Food Inspector Sanjyot U Kudalkar of the Directorate of Food & Drugs Administration, who had filed prosecution in the court of law.
Judge Edgar Fernandes at Vasco after conducting the trial, convicted the accused under PFA Act, 1954. In a judgment order dated September 26, 2013, the court convicted Shashikant Dessai, Uday Dessai and M/s S S Gruhaudyog, with simple imprisonment for six months and fine of Rs 2,000 for the offence punishable under Section 16(i) (a) (i), where food articles were declared adulterated.
Shashikant and Uday Dessai are to undergo simple imprisonment for six month and pay fine of Rs 2,000 for the offence under Section 16(i)(a)(ii) where the food articles was declared as misbranded, and to undergo simple imprisonment for 6 months and pay fine of Rs 2,000 for offence under Section 16(AA) for disposing off the adulterated food articles without permission. In default of payment of fine, accused shall undergo imprisonment for one month, Shashikant Dessai has to pay fine of Rs 500 for the offence punishable under Section 16(1C) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, for failing to produce the purchase invoice.
In default of payment of fine, the accused shall undergo imprisonment for one week. All the sentences shall run concurrently. The State was represented by APP Clarita A Simoes during final argument.
