RANJIT SINGH SHIV KUMAR Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These two Criminal Appeals bearing Nos. 56 of 1990 and 154 of 1990 arise out of the governing judgment and order of a learned single Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court whereby the convictions and sentences of the appellants herein were confirmed as ordered under the judgment and order of the Special Judge.

(2.) Shiv Kumar Ratti, one of the appellants herein was an Inspector in the Food and Supplies Department. He had in his possession and control a wheat godown situated in the D.A.V. School, Takhatgarh in the District of Ropar, Punjab. An Assistant Sub-Inspector, bearing an identical name as that of other appellant Ranjit Singh son of Om Prakash was also incharge of that wheat godown. A double key system was put to use amongst the two to open the godown. Some complaints were received by the Director, Food Supplies Department, Punjab that there had been misappropriation of the wheat stock. Consequently, on January 12, 1983, physical verification of stock was made and it was discovered that 336 bags of what were short. The matter was then entrusted to the Vigilance Department which went into the matter. Finally, on finding Shiv Kumar Ratti to be one of the persons responsible for the shortfall and, in particular, to a part of it which relates to the present crime under scrutiny, sent up Shiv Kumar Ratti and two others to stand up trial before the Court of a learned Special Judge for offences punishable under Section 409, IPC read with Section 5(1)(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 insofar as Shiv Kumar Ratti was concerned and for offences punishable under Section 409 read with S. 120-B, IPC insofar as Ranjit Singh, appellant and the third acquitted co-accused, Hazarlal were concerned. The trial Court having found them guilty and their appeal having been dismissed by the High Court has caused the appellants to be before us.

(3.) The case of the prosecution is that on December 12, 1982, Ranjit Singh, appellant in conspiracy with Shiv Kumar Ratti hired a truck from the truck union of Nurpur Bedi town and thereafter got loaded about 135 bags of wheat weighing about 107-1/2 quintals from D.A.V. School Departmental godown which was brought to Chandigarh and sold at the shop of a Commission Agent, the following day, for a total sum of Rs. 19,217.54, the proceeds of which were divided by Shiv Kumar Ratti taking Rs. 15,000/- and the balance remaining with Ranjit Singh, the appellant. The courts below have believed the prosecution version in its entirety insofar as the hiring of the truck is concerned from the evidence of PW 4, and insofar as the sale of wheat was concerned by the evidence of PW 6 ( the Commission Agent, through whom sale was made. The complicity of Shiv Kumar Ratti, Inspector, was spelt from his boarding the truck at a convenient place after it had been loaded and his getting down at Ropar town giving directions that the wheat betaken to Chandigarh for sale. Even though we have gone through the evidence led by the prosecution at the behest of the learned Counsel for the appellants, we have not been able to persuade ourselves to take any other view than the one taken by the courts below that Government wheat was misappropriated in the manner suggested by the prosecution.