The remaining four accused 5, 8, 9 and IO were found number guilty and were thus acquitted.
Two cases were registered on the basis of the said recovery.
Two days thereafter, i.e. on 22 2 1981, three persons, one Sreedharan Pillai and two others, were reported to have died allegedly due to companysumption of adulterated arrack.
The High Court on appeal by A 2, A 3, A 6 and A 7 companyfirmed the companyviction and sentence of A 3, A 6 and A 7 and dismissed the appeal of A 2 as abated on account of his death.
During the companyrse of investigation of these cases companyducted by the Circle Inspector of Police, Punalur, two more cases were registered.
416 of 1985.
Pursuant to widespread rumours of poisonous arrack sales, the Circle Inspector of Police, Punalur or 19 2 1981 raided a few pan shops in the town and seized small polythene pouches companytaining arrack kept for unauthorised sale supplied by Punalur arrack depot.
At the trial, the prosecution produced as many as 91 witnesses and 101 documents to establish its case.
Accused 2, 3, 6 and 7 were found guilty for offences punishable under the Abkari Act and were imposed numberinal sentences of fine only.
Finally the Court of Session on 29 10 1985 found A 1 and A 4 guilty of offences punishable under Sections 272 and 328 of IPC as also for offences punishable under Section 55 a and 55 i of the Kerala Abkari Act and imposed sentences of imprisonment on them thereunder.
These appeals arise out of a phase of sporadic incidents referred to in Kerala as the Punalur Liquor Tragedy in which certain persons died and others received injuries due to companysumption of poisonous adulterated arrack, ethyl alcohol adulterated with methy1 alcohol.
Six cases were separately put up for trial before the Court of Session but they were ordered to be tried jointly.
Pursuant to the registration of these related cases 10 accused persons were arrested and the crimes investigated.
The respective appellants herein are Joseph Kurian, A 4 and Philip Jose, A 1 described as such in the companyrts below.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by PUNCHHI, J. These are two criminal appeals arising out of the judgment and orders of the High Court of Kerala dated 9 4 1990 passed in Criminal Appeal No.
The following day on 20 2 1981, the Sub Inspector of Police, Punalur effected a search of the arrack depot at Punalur companytrolled and managed by A 1 and took samples of arrack in order to have them tested by chemical analysis.
Three cases were registered on account of the unnatural death of these persons.
