Lopchand Naruji Jat And Anr vs State Of Gujarat

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellants under Section 9-B(i)(b) of the Explosive Act, 1884, for possession of 180 detonators without a license, affirming that no prior sanction from the Central Government was required for prosecution under this Act. The Court clarified that the articles recovered were classified as explosives under the relevant rules, and the plea regarding the absence of independent evidence was dismissed. The Court found the sentence of one year imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1,000 to be appropriate given the circumstances of the case.