IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Criminal Revision No. 1077 of 2003 Date of Decision : 10.1.2011. Rakesh Kumar ...... Petitioner Versus State of Punjab ...... Respondent CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE NAWAB SINGH Present: None for the petitioner. Mr. Ranvir Singh Chauhan, DAG Punjab, for the respondent-State. NAWAB SINGH J. Mr. H.L. Bhatia, Advocate, is appointed as Amicus Curiae. This revision is directed against the judgment dated April 25th, 2003 passed by Additional Sessions Judge, Patiala affirming the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated February 5th, 2002 passed by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Rajpura whereby the petitioner was convicted under Section 61(1)(a) of the Punjab Excise Act, 14 and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for six months and to pay fine of Rs.1000/- with default stipulation. 2. Learned counsel urged that he does not challenge the conviction and prays for reduction of the sentence. 3. It calls for pointed notice that the occurrence of this case relates to the year 1998 and thus, the petitioner has suffered the agony of protracted criminal proceedings spreading over a long period of 12 years. The petitioner is not previous convicts nor have they indulged in any criminal activity before or after registration of this case and is the only bread earner of his family. 4. The aforesaid circumstances are of mitigating nature and justify the request made. Hence, this Court upholds the conviction of the petitioner but reduces the sentence to the period Criminal Revision No. 1077 of 2003 (2) already undergone by him. 5. The revision is accepted partly as indicated above. (NAWAB SINGH) JUDGE 10.1.2011. SN