#Regulatory Offences

Punjab & Haryana HC dismisses Section 482 petition seeking quashing of Insecticides Act prosecution; nomination of responsible person under Section 33 does not immunize other officers against whom specific allegations exist.

The Punjab & Haryana High Court ruled that Magistrates must assess the limitation period under Section 468 CrPC at the summoning stage itself, not post-trial. The Court quashed a complaint under the Insecticides Act filed six years after the offence, emphasizing that mechanical summoning orders violate procedural fairness and prejudice accused rights.

Supreme Court holds that conviction under E.C. Act requires proof of a subsisting statutory order on the date of offence; decontrol renders prosecution unsustainable.