Puzhavendran @ Pulendran v. The Inspector Of Police
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT Dated : 16/12/2025
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE L.VICTORIA GOWRI and Crl.MP(MD)No.9047 of 2024 Puzhavendran @ Pulendran ... Petitioner / 4th Accused Vs
1. The Inspector of Police, Pappanadu Police Station, Thanjavur District.
Crime No.213/2024.
2. J.Veeramanikandan, Head Constable, (Gr I 1664), Vattathikkottai Police Station, Orathanadu Sub Division, Thanjavur District.
... Respondents PRAYER :- To call for the records pertaining to the Impugned FIR in Crime No. 213/2024 dated 22.06.2024 on the file of the 1st respondent police and Quash the same in so far as the petitioner is concerned. For Petitioner : M/s.Arun Prasad.A, Advocate.
For Respondent : Mr.M.Sakthi Kumar for R1 Government Advocate (Crl.Side) 1/6
ORDER
This Criminal Original Petition is filed to call for the records pertaining to the Impugned FIR in Crime No.213/2024 dated 22.06.2024 on the file of the 1st respondent police and Quash the same in so far as the petitioner is concerned.
2. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is the fourth accused in the aforesaid crime, who had been working as a supervisor in Kannukutty TASMAC Bar .
3. The case of the prosecution is that on 21.06.2024, at about 11:00 PM, the police party went near Kannukutty TASMAC shop, they identified the third accused, Dhandayuthabani, selling liquor on the instructions of the first accused namely Suresh and second accused namely Selvendran who are TASMAC shop owners of that locality. On investigation, it was revealed that it is the fifth accused / Sales manager in the TASMAC who had sold the bottles to him. In addition to the Sales Manager, the petitioner who is the Supervisor of the TASMAC shop, had also been implicated as the fourth accused. Thus, a case in 2/6
Crime No.213 of 2024 was registered for the offences under Sections 4(1)(aaa), 4(1)(i), 4(1-A), 4(1)(j) & 7(a) of Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act. Totally there are 7 accused in this case.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is the Supervisor of the TASMAC shop, has done nothing else other than supervising the sales of the liquor bottles. However, he has been falsely implicated in this case and sought for the indulgence of this Court.
5. Per Contra, Mr. Sakthi Kumar, learned Government Advocate on instructions vehemently submitted that the third accused was caught red handed while selling liquor, after the closure of TASMAC shop at about 11:00 PM. There is no permission for anyone to sell liquor after 10:00 PM.
6. The case is only in the FIR stage and only after a complete investigation, it could be found out whether any spurious material has been added in the liquors which were sold by the third accused. That apart, 184 bottles were seized from the third accused. Further, it is 3/6
revealed that it is only the fifth and seventh accused who had sold the same to the third accused and hence it is too premature to consider the quashment of the FIR and sought for dismissal of this case. However, this Court has dealt with a similar order in Crl.O.P(MD)No.16739 of 2019 dated 21.07.2023 where TASMAC staffs were implicated in a criminal case in similar circumstances, where a final report with respect to the implication of the TASMAC staffs in a criminal case was filed and the same was quashed. The relevant portion is extracted as follows: "6. On perusal of the records, it is observed that the respondent police have registered the First Information Report in Crime No.
15 of 2017 for the offences under Sections 4(1) (aaa), 4(1)(i) and 24 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, as against the petitioners and others and also filed final report and the same has been taken cognizance by the learned Judicial Magistrate, Rajapalayam, in C.C.No.282 of 2018. In order to attract Sections 4(1)(aaa), 4(1)(i) and 24 of TNP Act, the petitioners have to be imports, exports, transports or possesses liquor of one hundred litres and above.
attract as against the petitioners. The respondent police without conducting proper investigation, filed final report and the same was taken on file by the learned Magistrate in C.C.No.282 of 2018. In view of the above, the charges against the petitioners are liable to be quashed."
7. Even in the instant case, the crime has been registered for the offenses under Section Sections 4(1)(aaa), 4(1)(i), 4(1-A), 4(1)(j) & 7(a) of Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act. In view of the same, I am fully fortified by the above said order and therefore, the FIR in Crime No.213 of 2024 is quashed as far as the petitioner.
8. Accordingly, this Criminal Original Petition is allowed. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition stands closed. 16.12.2025 NCC : yes / no Index : yes / no Internet : yes / no pnn 5/6
L.VICTORIA GOWRI, J pnn To
1. The Inspector of Police, Pappanadu Police Station, Thanjavur District.
Crime No.213/2024.
2. The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai.
ORDER
IN CRL OP(MD) No.14529 of 2024 Date : 16/12/2025 6/6