State of Maharashtra Excise Department vs Manik Devappa Sathe — 576/2025

Court Decision Summary The Palus First Class Magistrate Court acquitted accused Manik Devappa Sathe of charges under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, Section 65(a)(e) for alleged illegal possession and sale of country liquor. The court found that the prosecution failed to conclusively prove beyond reasonable doubt that the seized bottles were indeed illicit liquor, citing inadequate witness testimony, lack of chemical analysis reports, and procedural irregularities in the seizure documentation, thereby granting the accused full acquittal on April 1, 2026. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.