Calcutta High Court Acquits Man after 30 years Convicted for Carrying Rice on Bicycle

The Calcutta High Court has acquitted a man who was convicted in 1995 under Section 7(1)(a)(ii) of the Essential Commodities Act for carrying three bags of paddy on his bicycle in 1991 without a license. 

The court observed that there was no concrete evidence to prove Roy intended to trade or sell the paddy. The Court noted that the paddy was neither weighed nor properly verified, and mere suspicion could not justify conviction.

Roy’s appeal, pending since 1996, was finally allowed. The Court emphasized the lack of sufficient proof and set aside the conviction. (Chandra Mohan Roy v The State of West Bengal)