State of Maharashtra Excise Department vs Pandurang Shivaji Shinde — 67/2026

The court acquitted the accused, Pandurang Shivaji Shinde, of charges under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, Section 65(E), for allegedly possessing 27 bottles of illicit liquor for sale. The judge found that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence—particularly noting that the sole prosecution witness (a panchnama witness) could not corroborate the seizure details, no chemical analysis report was submitted, and no other witnesses or the investigating officer testified. Due to insufficient and unreliable evidence, the benefit of doubt went to the accused, resulting in his acquittal on March 27, 2026. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.