AKHTAR BEG Vs. STATE OF H.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By way of this petition, 63 years old petitioner has approached this Court invoking provisions of Sec. 482 of Cr.P.C. with prayer that sentence imposed upon him in 39 criminal cases under Sec. 420 of Indian Penal Code be directed to run concurrently.

(2.) On the basis of complaints preferred by Suresh Kumar and Sardari Lal against the petitioner and his wife Praveen Begum (now deceased), two FIRs Nos. 59 of 2002 and 197 of 2002 were registered. During investigation, it was found that apart from complainants, petitioner and his wife had also taken money from various other persons with assurance to provide job in some Government Departments and/or as Vidya Upasak in Education Department. But neither job was procured for such persons nor money, alleged to have been taken from them, was returned to them and in case FIR No. 50 of 2002, separate 20 challans were presented in Court and in those cases, petitioner has been convicted by the Trial Court Magistrate and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment of three years in each case with fine of Rs.5000.00 in each case and in case of each default, to further undergo simple imprisonment of six months in each case.

(3.) In case FIR No. 197 of 2002, different 19 challans were presented in Court and in all these cases, petitioner has been convicted by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Chamba and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment of three years in each case with fine of Rs.5000.00 in each case and for each default of payment thereof, six months each simple imprisonment in each case.