New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) The Supreme Court Monday set aside the March 2020 verdict of the Allahabad High Court which had quashed criminal proceedings in a case lodged at Lucknow relating to alleged disappearance of two trucks carrying beers.

The apex court observed that the high court had not at all appreciated the allegations of larger conspiracy and committed error in quashing the criminal proceedings in the case.

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A bench of Justices M R Shah and B V Nagarathna noted that the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had passed the verdict in March 2020.

"At the outset, it is required to be noted that the high court has delivered the impugned judgment and order after a period of six months after the matter was reserved for judgement," the bench said in its order.

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"Though the judgment and order passed by the high court may not be set aside on the aforesaid ground only, however it is always advisable that the high court delivers the judgment at the earliest after the arguments are concluded and the judgment is reserved," the top court said.

The bench delivered its verdict on separate appeals filed by the state as well as the original informant of the case against the high court verdict.

It noted that two separate FIRs were registered in connection with the alleged disappearance of two trucks by which a consignment of beer was dispatched in September 2018.

The bench noted that after conclusion of investigation, the investigating officers had filed charge sheets in the cases.

Later, a petition was filed in the high court by some persons, who were made accused in one of the cases, seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings in the matter.

The high court quashed the entire criminal proceedings, including the charge sheet filed in the case lodged at Lucknow.

"Having gone through the impugned judgment and order passed by the high court by which the high court has set aside the criminal proceedings in exercise of powers under section 482 CrPC, it appears that the high court has virtually conducted a mini trial, which as such is not permissible at this stage and while deciding the application under section 482 CrPC," the apex court said.

Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) deals with inherent powers of the high court.

The top court noted that the high court itself had opined that the allegations were very serious and it requires further investigation and that is why the high court had directed to conduct the investigation by CB-­CID with respect to the other FIR.

"The high court has not appreciated and considered the fact that both the FIRs….can be said to be interconnected and the allegations of a larger conspiracy are required to be investigated," it noted.

"It is alleged that the overall allegations are disappearance of the trucks transporting the beer/contraband goods which are subject to the rules and regulations of the Excise Department and Excise Law," the bench said.

While allowing the appeals, the apex court quashed the high court verdict to the extent of setting aside the criminal proceedings arising out of the case lodged at Lucknow.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)