NANDESWAR BARUA AND ANR. Vs. THE STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS petition of revision is directed against an order of the Sessions Judge, U.A.D., dated 3.5.1950 by which the convictions of the two petitioners under Section 420, Penal Code, were confirmed though their sentences of imprisonment were reduced from 4 months to 3 months and in lieu of this reduction they were sentenced each to pay a fine of Rs. 500 and in default of payment to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month.

(2.) THE main contention raised on behalf of the petitioners is that their convictions are not sustainable on facts. We have gone through the records carefully and see no reason to differ from the finding of fact arrived at by the Courts below. The prosecution case is that Jogeswar Barua, petitioner, negotiated a sale of 50 bundles of C.I. sheets with the complainant Mathan Chandra Tamuli. The price fixed was Rs. 80 per bundle. The two petitioners took the complainant to Sdikhaguri and showed him a boat with some stacks of C.I. sheets which he was informed were kept for sale. On the next day, viz. 26.6.1948, he paid the two petitioners sum of Rs. 4000. They handed this sum to Priyaram, father of Nandeswar petitioner. The C.I. sheets were to he delivered next day. On that day the petitioners did not deliver the sheets as stipulated and they themselves could not be found. At night both the petitioners visited the complainant and told him that the dealer, to whom the sheets belonged, had vanished and the money paid by him had also disappeared.

(3.) THE complainant went to the place of the accused next day again to make sure of what exactly had happened. He took two witnesses with him. The petitioners showed him some pieces of papers and pieces of blankets. They were of the size of ten rupee notes and it was represented to the complainant that the money that he bad paid had been converted by some magic to these articles. The complainant Mathan naturally could not swallow this fantastic story and again went to the petitioners. He took with him Tileswar (P.W. 4) and Dinaram (P.W. 3) and another person this time and demanded his money back. The petitioners executed two promissory notes separately in favour of one Tileswar. Jogeswar's promissory note was for Rs. 800 and that of Nandeswar's was for Rs. 700. It appears that this did not satisfy the complaint and be informed the police of the occurrence on 29.6.1948. The two petitioners and Priyaram were sent up for trial. All the three were convicted by the trial Magistrate. Priyaram was acquitted on appeal.