CHAMPAK LAL H. THAKKAR AND OTHERS vs STATE OF GUJARAT AND ANOTHER

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction under Section 22A of the Minimum Wages Act for the appellants operating an oil mill, affirming that vanaspati qualifies as oil under Item 5 of Part-I of the Schedule. The Court established that for an employer to be covered by the Act, they must employ one or more employees in scheduled employment, have fixed minimum wages, and comply with committee requirements under Section 5. The Court clarified that vanaspati retains its essential properties as oil despite processing, thus falling within the definition of an oil mill.