Bowrisetty Bhavani Prasad vs The State Of Andhra Pradesh
2022 Latest Caselaw 9450 AP

                 HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE R. RAGHUNANDAN RAO

                                    Crl.P.No.9740 of 2022

ORDER:

The petitioner accused No.2 in S.C.No.343 of 2018 on the file of the

II Additional District and Sessions Judge, Visakhapatnam, for the offences

punishable under Section 370 (A) (2) IPC and Sections 3 & 4 of the

Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956.

2. The allegation against the petitioner in the charge sheet is

that he was a customer, who had visited the brothel house, when the

petitioner and the other accused in the case were arrested.

3. This Court in various judgments, including the order dated

06.05.2022 in Crl.P.No.3621 of 2022; order dated 11.03.2022 in

Crl.P.No.1785 of 2022 and order dated 05.01.2022 in Crl.P.No.7697 of

2021, following the judgments of this court in Z. Lourdiah Naidu vs.

State of A.P.1 and Goenka Sajan Kumar vs. The State of A.P.,2 had

held that a customer cannot be treated as an accused in such cases.

4. Following the said judgments, this criminal petition is

allowed and the proceedings in S.C.No.343 of 2022 on the file of the II

Additional District and Sessions Judge, Visakhapatnam, are quashed

against the petitioner.

(2013) 2 ALD (Cri) 393 = (2014) 1 ALT (cri) 322 (A.P.)

(2014) 2 ALD (Cri) 264 = (2015) 1 ALT 85 (A.P.) 2 RRR,J Crl.P.No.9740 of 2022

As a sequel, pending miscellaneous petitions, if any, shall stand

closed.

__________________________ R. RAGHUNANDAN RAO, J.

7th December, 2022.

Js.

3 RRR,J Crl.P.No.9740 of 2022

HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE R. RAGHUNANDAN RAO

Crl.P.No.9740 of 2022

7th December, 2022 Js.