YADAV NATHOBA KOHCHADE Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These appeals are directed against appellants' conviction for various offences and sentences imposed upon them for those offences by the learned 2nd Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Nagpur, in Criminal Case No. 415 of 2002.

(2.) In the year 1999, a scandal of bogus degrees, mark-sheets and unwarranted increase of marks in revaluation at various examinations conducted by the Nagpur University surfaced. The University authorities reported the matter to police, by a number of FIRs on which some offences were registered. In course of investigation of those matters many more matters surfaced and they too were investigated. Initially by P.I. Sayyed and after him by P.S.I. Anil Lokhande. Initially chargesheet has been filed in respect of all irregularities and after separate trials were ordered, separate supplementary charge sheets for various offences came to be filed against several offenders.

(3.) The facts which led to prosecution and conviction of the appellants are as under: