LACHHMAN SINGH Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) LACHHMAN Singh appellant and his brother-in-law Prem Singh appellant have come up in appeal against their conviction recorded by the learned Special Judge, Chandigarh vide his order dated 1.5.1982. Both the appellants stand sentenced as under :-

(2.) THE sentences of the appellants were ordered to run concurrently.

(3.) IN the year 1975, appellant Lachhman Singh was employed as an Upper Division Clerk in the office of the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Chandigarh. He was incharge of settlement of claims and ultimate disbursement of the provident fund amounts of various workers. He is alleged to have tampered with certain records and had withdrawn certain amounts in an illegal manner. According to the procedure laid down, accounts of various workers were maintained in the office of the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Chandigarh. Lachhman Singh appellant used to prepare the balance sheets of their accounts and the payable amounts to workers were settled by him. He was also required to send the statement to the disbursement officials branch where the cheques were prepared and dispatched to the payees. In the accounts of certain employees he inflated the amounts with the connivance of his co-accused. He withdrew that amount and put the same to the personal use. So in a case registered on the complaint made to the C.B.I. by Shri K.L. Lamba, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Sector 17-D, Chandigarh, Lachhman Singh appellant was tried in two cases by the learned Special Judge which ended in the aforesaid conviction and sentence of the appellant and his co-accused. In both the cases one sanction Exhibit PW 5/C dated 7.2.1979 was obtained by the prosecution from the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Chandigarh. These appeals can be disposed of on a short ground regarding the validity of the sanction Exhibit PW 5/C.