State Through State Excise Department Flying Squad No.1 Alibag vs Sushma Suresh Shinde — 173/2025

Court Decision Summary The First Class Judicial Magistrate Court in Murud (Raigad) acquitted the accused Surma Suresh Shinde of charges under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949, Section 65(E) for allegedly possessing and distributing 20 liters of illicit liquor. The court found that while police recovered liquor from the accused's residence on January 7, 2025, the prosecution failed to establish the charge beyond reasonable doubt because: (1) no chemical analysis report of the seized alcohol was submitted to confirm it was actual liquor, and (2) no independent witness testimony corroborated the seizure details. The court held that the conviction cannot rest solely on two police witnesses' testimony without corroborating evidence, thus acquitting the accused based on the principle that guilt must be proven beyond reasonable doubt. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.