Haribhau vs The State Of Maharashtra

3. In short, the case of the prosecution is that Bala Saheb Ingole (PW­1) was serving as a teacher in Zilla Parishad   Primary   School   at   Januna,   Tahsil   Karanja District   Washim   (MH).   On   05.04.2005,   the   appellant (Haribhau)   and   Babarao,   who   were   Sarpanch   and Member of the Gram Panchayat, Januna respectively visited the School and asked Bala Saheb as to why he came   late   in   the   School.   Bala   Saheb   offered   his explanation.

7.   The appellant and Babarao felt aggrieved by the order   of   conviction   and   sentence   and   filed   appeal before the High Court of Bombay, Nagpur Bench. By impugned   order,   the   High   Court   allowed   the   appeal with respect to Babarao and acquitted him of all the charges leveled against him.

8. So far as the appellant (Haribhau) is concerned, his   appeal   was   dismissed.   In   other   words,   the appellant's   conviction   and   the   sentence   awarded   by the Additional Sessions Judge was upheld giving rise to   filing   of   this   appeal   by   way   of   special   leave   by Haribhau in this Court.

14. In   our   considered   opinion,   firstly,   taking   into account that the appellant has already undergone one month’s  jail sentence out of three months awarded to him, secondly, the fact that the incident in question is quite old and seems to have occurred at the spur of the   moment,   thirdly,   the   appellant   has   no   criminal antecedent   in   his   past   life   and   lastly,   he   is   not required in any other criminal case except the one in question   which   the   appellant   fairly   did   not   deny having   committed     and   rightly   did   not   challenge   his conviction,   it   is   considered   to   be   just   and   proper   to alter the jail sentence awarded to the appellant from three   months   to   the   extent   of   period   of   one   month which   was   already   undergone   by   him   and   instead 7 enhance the total fine amount awarded under different Sections from Rs.800/­ to Rs.15,000/­.

15. In   view   of   the   foregoing   discussion,   the   appeal succeeds  and is  accordingly allowed in part. The jail sentence awarded to the appellant by the Courts below is altered and is accordingly reduced to the extent of period of one month which already undergone by him.

16. In other words, the appellant is now not required to   serve   any   more   jail   sentence   than   what   he   has already undergone and at the same time the amount of the total fine awarded by the Courts below is enhanced from   Rs.800/­   to   Rs.15,000/­     for   being   paid   to   the complainant­ Bala Saheb Ingole.

17.   Failure   to   deposit   the   fine   amount   within   one month   would   result   in   reviving   the   jail   sentence awarded   by   the   Courts   below   and   the   appellant   will 8 have   to   then   undergo   the   remaining   jail   sentence awarded by the Courts below.

18. Let   the   amount   of   fine   be   deposited   by   the appellant   in   Trial   Court   within   one   month   from   the date of this order for being paid to the Complainant.

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