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ITC Limited vs State of Karnataka and Anr.

Not available · 2025 INSC 1111Decided 12 Sept 2025
Not available
Justice J.B. Pardiwala · Justice R. Mahadevan

Background

Officials of the Karnataka Legal Metrology Department inspected ITC Limited's premises manufacturing "Classmate" exercise books and seized about 7,600 packages, alleging a labelling/packaging rule violation under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, without first obtaining a search warrant. ITC challenged the seizure and compounding notices in the Karnataka High Court, arguing that the mandatory procedural safeguards under Sections 100(4) and 165 of the Criminal Procedure Code for conducting a search without a warrant had not been followed. A Single Judge quashed the notices and ordered release of the goods, but a Division Bench later reversed that order, prompting ITC's appeal to the Supreme Court.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court held that the entire search-and-seizure exercise was illegal because officials neither obtained a warrant nor recorded the mandatory "reasons to believe" required before conducting a search, seizure or inspection, in breach of Section 15 of the Legal Metrology Act and Sections 100(4), 100(5) and 165 of the Cr.P.C. The Court also found the alleged violation itself was, at best, technical: the goods carried a compliant label even though it wasn't printed directly, and packaging for transport in bulk containers did not amount to "wholesale packaging" under the applicable FAQs and clarifications. The Court quashed the Division Bench's judgment and the underlying notices, restoring the Single Judge's order in ITC's favour.

Lesson Learnt

Government inspectors and regulatory officials cannot bypass the legal safeguards of obtaining a warrant and recording reasons before searching a business's premises and seizing goods: procedural shortcuts by enforcement authorities can render the entire action illegal, regardless of the underlying allegation.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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