Summarize the following court judgment. minal Appeal No. 3 of 1972. Appeal by special leave from the judgment and order dated January 25	 1971 of the Madhya Pradesh High Court	 Indore Bench in Criminal Appeal No. 391 of 1969. section K. Gambhir	 for the appellant. M. N. Shroff	 for the respondent. The	 Judgment of the Court was delivered by Beg	 J. Shiv Govind	 the appellant 	 has obtained Special. Leave to appeal against only that part of the Judgment and order of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh by which his sentence of one	 year 's Rigorous Imprisonment	 passed by the Additional Sessions ' Judge	 Indore	 upon a conviction under Section 366 Indian Penal Code	 was enhanced to seven years ' Rigorous Imprisonment 836 and a fine of Rs. 100/ 	 and	 in. default of payment of fine	 to three months ' further rigorous imprisonment. The appellant	 aged about 20 years at the time of the alleged offence of 9th of August	 1969	 was the youngest of three persons who were jointly charged and tried for offences punishable under Section 366 and 354 I.P.C. The prosecution case was : Kumari Seema	 a girl below 18 years of age	 was offered a lift on his bicycle by the accused	 Kamal Singh	 aged 30 years	 while she was returning to her homefrom her School on 9th August	 1969. The girl hesitated. But	 as she reposed confidence in Kamal Singh	 whom she looked upon as her uncle	 she accepted the offer. Kamal Singh took Kumari Seema on his bicycle to the Regal Cinema where she part took of some. refreshment ordered by Kamal Singh. Meanwhile	 the appellant Shiv Govind and the accused Punani	 aged 26	 arrived in a car. Kamal Singh asked Kumari Seema to go with the two younger men in their car. Seema refused. Then	 Kamal Singh asked her to go on his bicycle to Yashwant Talkies. She complied with this request. At this Cinema	 Kanial Singh deposited his Cycle at the Cycle stand. The appellant Shiv Govind and his companion Punam had followed in their car. The three men succeeded in persuading Seema	 despite her initial refusal	 to sit in the car and to go for a short pleasure trip in it on the	 definite assurance that she will soon be reached home. After the girl had sat in the car she was driven to a place called Mandow	 a number of miles away from Indore	 and was made to alight at a tourist 's bungalow. There two rooms were engaged by the accused. 	 Kamal Singh occupied one of the two rooms and the girl was closeted in the other room with the appellant and his companion Punam	 who were both drunk. One of the two youngmen caught hold of the hands of the girl while the other tried to undress her with the object of raping her. Kumari Seema	 at this point	 feigned sudden indisposition so that the two youngmen had to bring her out into the gallery for fresh air. She managed to escape while the accused went inside to fetch some water for her	 She rushed into the house of one Babulal Kamdar and complained to him about the incident. This led to a communication of information of the offences to the Police which went to the tourist 's bungalow. and arrested the three accused who were brought to Police Station Nalcha where a First Information Report was lodged. The Trial Court had examined the evidence given in support of the case stated above. This included medical evidence on the question of the age of the girl	 because	 while the prosecution alleged that she was below 16 years of age	 the accused pleaded that she was above 18 years of age. Evidently	 the case of the accused 837 Was that Kumari Seema was a consenting party to whatever took place. Although the girl was attending a School	 the entry of her age in the School Register was not disclosed. Despite some discrepancies in the evidence relating to the age of the girl	 the trial court came to the conclusion that it was between 16 to 19 years. It relied mainly on expert evidence of Doctors who had used the ossification test. The Trial Court had also noticed the discrepancies between the prosecution version	 as set out above by Kumari Seema in her evidence in Court. and the story given out by her in the First lnformation Report where she had stated that she had joined the party of the accused at the crossing of Bijasan Road. The earlier version suggested that the girl had herself gone to meet the party of the accused by appointment. The consent of the girl was	 however	 immaterial in view of the finding of the Trial Court about the age of the girl. The fact that she was taken to Mandow	 where something happened at the tourist 's bungalow which she disapproved of	 was corroborated by the evidence of Babulal Kamdar	 and Kailash Sharma	 in addition to the two police constables of Mandow out post. The Trial Court which had the advantage	 of watching the demeanour of the girl	 had come to the conclusion that	 although the girl may have tried to improve her version and pretend that she was unwilling to accompany Kamal Singh	 who had come in a car for her according to the first version	 yet	 the charge under Sec. 366 I.P.C.	 was established against each of the three accused and the charge under Sec. 354 I.P.C. was established against Shiv Govind	 appellant	 and his companion Punam. The three accused were	 therefore	 convicted under Sec. 366	 and each was sentenced to one year 's rigorous imprisonment. The two accused Shiv Govind and Punam were also convicted under Sec. 354 I.P.C.	 and sentenced to four months rigorous imprisonment	 but the two sentences were ordered to run concurrently. When the case came up in appeal to the High Court	 a notice: of enhancement of the sentence under Sec. 366 I.P.C. was issued to each of the three appellants	 and their sentences were enhanced	 as indicated above	 after the appellants had been heard. It is only Shiv Govind who has appealed to this Court. Shiv Govind had also applied under Sec. 561A. Criminal Procedure Code to the High Court	 after the dismissal of his appeal and enhancement of the sentence	 by the High Court	 claiming the benefit of Sec. 6 and 11 of the Probation of Offender 's Act. But this application was rejected by the learned Judge who had enhanced the sentence passed upon the appellant	 although he 838 round that the report of the Probation Officer about the conduct of the accused while undergoing the sentence	 which was sent far	 was favourable to the appellant. It appears from the two Judg ments given by the learned Judge who enhanced the sentence of the appellant and who subsequently dismissed the application Linder Sec. 561A Criminal Procedure Code also	 that the view taken by him was that	 having regard to the facts and circumstances and of the case and the offence committed by the appellant	 the enhanced sentence was deserved by him. We have	 therefore	 examined the Judgment of the High Court Linder appeal before us in order to discover the special reasons Which induced the learned High Court Judge to differ from the ( )pinion of the Trial Court about the appropriate sentence to be imposed upon the appellant. The only reason given by the learned Judge for enhancing the sentence was that Kumari Seema had reposed confidence in Kamal Singh	 whom she regarded as an Uncle	 so that she could not expect foul play from him. The learned Judge thought the girl 's trust and confidence in Kamal Singh explained why she did not protest when she was taken in the car and then made to get down at the tourist 's bungalow. It seems	 however	 from the account of the occurrence given in the Judgment under appeal	 that the learned Judge was shocked by the plight of Kumari Seema	 due to the perfidy of Kamal Singh	 and by. a contemplation of the possible consequences to her if she had not behaved in a particularly. brave and intelligent manner so as to escape from her predicament. The learned Judge mentioned that the girl had risked her life to escape. We	 however	 find that there was no suggestion in the evidence anywhere that any threat to the life of Kumari Seema was held out. There was no evidence that the girl had seriously struggled to escape or had raised shouts for help which would have brought people around to her aid. Nor was there any evidence that the accused tried to obstruct her or to chase her when she escaped from the tourist 's bungalow allegedly by resorting to a ruse. The High Court was so impressed by the girl 's uncorroborated version of her own heroism	 which did not tally with her first version in the First Information Report	 that it overlooked the infirmities in the girl 's evidence discussed by the trial court. We find the trial court 's view of the whole case to be	 quite balanced and objective. We do not think that the severer view of the High Court could be reasonably justified. It seems clear to us that the High Court had overlooked the principles	 laid down by this Court repeatedly	 which should 839 govern the exercise of powers of the High Court to enhance sen tences Imposed by trial courts. In Bed Raj vs The State of Uttar Pradesh. this Court observed at page 588 589 "A question of a sentence is a matter of discretion and it is well settled that when discretion has been properly exercised along accepted judicial lines	 an appellate court should not interfere to the detriment of an accused person except for very strong reasons which must be disclosed on the face of the judgment; See for example the observations in Dalip Singh vs State of Punjab 	 156) and Nar Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh [1955](1) S.C.R. 238	 2411. In a matter of enhancement there should not be interference when the sentence passed imposes substantial punishment. Interference is only called for when it is manifestly inadequate. In our opinion	 the lese principles have not been observed. It is impossible to hold in the circumstances described that the Sessions Judge did not impose a subs tantial sentence	 and no adequate reason has been assigned by the learned High Court Judges for considering the sentence manifestly inadequate. In the circumstances. bearing all the considerations of this case in mind	 we are of opinion that the appeal (which is limited to the question of sentence) should be allowed and that the sentence imposed by the High Court should be set aside and that of the Sessions Court restored". We think that what was laid down by this Court. in Bed Raj 's case (Supra) is fully applicable to the case before us. We may also mention the similar views expressed by this Court in. Alamgir & A nr.	 vs The State of Bihar (2). We may observe that decision of this Court in Nabi Bux and Ors. vs The State of Madhya Pradesh(: ')	 is distinguishable from the case before us. In that case the High Court had enhanced a sentence having regard to all the facts and circumstances justifying the enhancement. In the case before us we find that the High Court had not noticed a number of facts duly considered by the trial Court so that the exercise of power of enhancement of the sentence under Sec. 366 I.P.C. could not be reasonably justified here. Consequently	 we allow this appeal by setting aside the order of enhancement of sentence by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh and restore the sentence of one year 's rigorous imprisonment (1) [1955] (2) S.C.R. p. 583. (2) [1959] Supp. (1) S.C.R. 464. (3) ; 840 passed upon the appellant by the learned Sessions Judge for the offence under Sec. 366 I.P.C. of which the appellant was convict ed. The concurrent sentence of four months rigorous imprisonment under Sec. 354 I.P.C.	 which was not interfered with by the High Court	 is maintained. We understand that the appellant has already undergone more than one year 's imprisonment awarded to him and that he is in jail as his application for bail was rejected. If this is so	 the appellant will be released forthwith unless wanted in some other case. K.B.N. Appeal allowed.

A question of sentence is a matter of discretion. It is well settled that when discretion has been properly exercised along accepted judicial lines. an appellate Court should not interfere to the detriment of an accused person. Such interference will be justified only by strong reasons Which must be disclosed on the fact of the	 judgment. In a matter of enhancement there should not be interference when the sentence 	 passed imposes substantial punishment. lnterference is only called for when it is manifestly inadequate. [839 B] Where the trial court after taking into account all the circumstances end also the discrepancies in the prosecution version convicted the appellant to one years	 imprisonment under section 366	 Penal Code	 and the High Court in appeal	 enhanced the sentence to seven years ' imprisonment. HELD : that the High Court had not noticed a number of facts duly considered by the trial court and	 therefore	 the exercise of the power of enhancement could not be justified. [839 G] Bed Rai vs The State of Uttar Pradesh	 ; 	 and Alamgir & Anr. vs The State of Bihar	 [1959] Supp. I S.C.R. 464	 referred to. Nabi Bux and ors. vs The State of Madhya Pradesh	 A. 1. R. 	 distinguished.