As per case facts a representative of Asian Paints filed a complaint after counterfeit products bearing the company's mark were found leading to the accused's conviction the First Appellate Court ... acquitted the accused and Asian Paints appealed this acquittal to the High Court under the victim's right to appeal but the High Court dismissed the appeal as non-maintainable because the company was not technically the complainant and the appeal was not against the trial court's original order The question arose whether the corporate entity Asian Paints Limited qualifies as a victim under Section wa of the CrPC and whether the appeal by a victim lies against an acquittal order passed by a first appellate court under the proviso to Section of the CrPC Finally the Supreme Court allowed the appeal ruling that Asian Paints is a victim under the expansive definition of the CrPC as it suffered loss injury and the victim's right to appeal under the proviso to Section is a standalone independent right that is not restricted by other provisions or the stage of acquittal thereby restoring the company's appeal for hearing on the merits

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