IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Criminal Revision No.784 of 2006 Date of Decision : 27.05.2011. Balkar Singh and another ......Petitioners Versus State of Punjab ......Respondent CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE NAWAB SINGH Present: Mr. Sudhir Paruthi, Advocate, for the petitioners. Mr. Ranvir S. Chauhan, DAG, Punjab, for the respondent-State. NAWAB SINGH J.(ORAL) This revision is directed against the judgment dated March 22nd, 2006 passed by Additional Sessions Judge, Bathinda affirming the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated October 25th, 2004 of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Jalandhar, whereby, the petitioners were convicted under Section 61 (1)(a) of the Punjab Excise Act and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of one year and to pay fine of Rs.2000/- each with default stipulation. 2. At the outset, learned counsel for the petitioners has urged that he does not challenge the judgment of conviction on merits and confines his arguments only regarding quantum of sentence. The grounds pleaded are that, (i). allegations against the petitioners were that on February 24th, 1999, they were apprehended by the Police while selling licit liquor (ii). they have undergone actual sentence of 1 month and 29 days (iii).they have suffered the agony of protracted criminal proceedings spreading over a long period of 12 years; (iv). they are not previous convict nor have they indulged in any criminal activity before or after registration of this case and (iv). they are the only bread winners of their families. Criminal Revision No.784 of 2006 -2- .. 3. The aforesaid circumstances justify the request made. Hence, this Court upholds the conviction of the petitioners but reduces the sentence to the period already undergone by them. 4. The revision is accepted partly as indicated above. (NAWAB SINGH) JUDGE 27.05.2011. som