IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Crl. Appeal No. 2125-SB of 2007 Date of Decision: November 20, 2008 Parveen Sharma … Appellant Versus Union Territory of Chandigarh. … Respondent CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE S.D. ANAND. Present : Mr. Vikas Jain, Advocate, for the appellant. Mr. Sukant Gupta, Advocate, for the respondent. S.D. Anand, J. The appellant furnished surety (in the sum of Rs.50,000/-) for the appearance, on every date of hearing, of the accused in case FIR No. 37 dated 28.1.2000, under Sections 279/337 of the Indian Penal Code. However, that accused absented from the Court and the learned Trial Court ordered that the entire bond amount shall be recovered from the appellant as penalty. It is apparent from the record that the first date on which the accused absented came to be declared a holiday. Though the accused concerned abstained from the Court even Crl. Appeal No. 2125-SB of 2007 thereafter, it is not denied that he had entered appearance and had since been convicted by the learned Trial Court. The entire penalty amount has otherwise been deposited by the appellant. In view of the totality of the circumstances of the case, it is ordered that the impugned penalty amount shall stand reduced from Rs.50,000/- to Rs.15,000/-. Disposed of accordingly. November 20, 2008 ( S.D. Anand ) vkd Judge 2