THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAJA ELANGO CRIMINAL PETITION No.6450 of 2011 ORDER: Petitioner approaches this Court by way of invoking the provisions under Section 482 Cr.P.C. with a prayer to quash the proceedings in FIR No.55 of 2011 of Chundur Police Station, whereby he is arrayed as an accused for the offence punishable under Sections 420 IPC and 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act. Learned counsel for the petitioner contended that the act of the accused selling seeds to A2 will not attract an offence under Section 420 IPC. In the absence of Section 420 IPC, the offence under Sections 3 and 7 read with Sec.7 and 19 of the E.C.Act is only punishable with fine of Rs.500/-. This court perused the record and heard the arguments. On perusal of the same, this Court is of the view that this is not a stage to quash the proceedings that too at the threshold of FIR stage. But, in any event, on the basis of the submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner apprehends arrest in the hands of the respondent-police, if the petitioner apprehends such an arrest, he is at liberty to move a petition for anticipatory bail before the District and Sessions Judge. On filing of such application, the District and Sessions Judge is directed to consider the same favourably. With the above observation, the Criminal Petition is disposed of. The miscellaneous petitions, if any, filed along with the criminal petition shall stand closed. _________________ RAJA ELANGO, J. 2nd August 2011, Rns.