Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Punishment for offence in case of working still. - Although regarding many kinds of offences it is not possible to lay down any hard and fast standard of punishment it is necessary in the case of offences like the distillation of illicit liquor to maintain some consistency in the matter. The actual working of an illicit still is one of the most serious offences under the Excise Act and generally speaking is more serious than merely being found in possession of illicit liquor or of materials used in its preparation. The standard sentence for working an illicit still has been one year imprisonment and since the introduction of Sec. 69 A into the Punjab Excise Act, it has also been almost a standard practice to require convicted persons to furnish security covering a period after their release from prison. Where there is very little departure from these accepted standards by the trial Court, Sessions Judges in appeal should not reduce the sentence of imprisonment and set aside the order under Section 69-A. without any special reasons.