Government of Gujarat vs Mahendrabhai Rameshbhai Baria — 701/2026

Summary The court dropped the criminal proceedings against the accused for alleged liquor consumption under Section 66(1)(b) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949. The court held that the 2017 Amendment deleted the cognizable classification, making the offense non-cognizable with a maximum punishment under 3 years, requiring prior Magistrate permission for investigation under Section 155(2) CrPC. Since the investigating officer conducted the investigation without obtaining this mandatory permission, the investigation was deemed illegal and vitiated, precluding cognizance of the case. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.