State of Maharashtra vs Gajanan Ramaji Gaurkhede Advocate - Dhande D. M. — 157/2024

Summary The court acquitted defendant Gajanan Gourkhed of charges under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949 (Sections 65(E) and 77(A)) for alleged possession of illicit liquor. The court found that the prosecution failed to establish its case because the two panch witnesses did not corroborate the seizure of 20 liters of country liquor and four bottles of branded alcohol from the accused's possession—they testified no panchnama was prepared and police did not conduct the seizure in their presence. Since the seized contraband could not be independently proven to have come from the accused's custody, the charge was not proved beyond reasonable doubt, warranting acquittal. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.