THE ALLAHABAD High Court has ordered that the sentences of a man convicted in six cases related to the theft of electricity equipment shall run concurrently, observing that his life and liberty would be jeopardised if his grievance was not addressed.
The petitioner submitted that a trial court, while convicting him in all six cases on the same date, sentenced him to undergo imprisonment for one year and six months in each case. However, due to the non-exercise of discretion under Section 427(1) Cr.P.C., the sentences were directed to run consecutively, meaning a total incarceration period of nine years.
“We are of the considered view that the life and liberty of the petitioner will be jeopardised if his grievance is not redressed in this writ petition. Thus, the writ petition is allowed. The sentence of one year and six months imprisonment awarded to the petitioner in all the six session cases, shown in the chart, shall run concurrently. The fine has been deposited by the petitioner, per enclosed receipts,” the court observed.
The court said in its order, “The Registry to inform the District Jail, Aligarh to release the petitioner- Santosh, considering the concurrent running of sentences.”
The court passed the order while hearing a petition filed by one Santosh, seeking a direction to the Superintendent, District Jail, Aligarh, for issuance of appropriate orders for concurrent running of sentences imposed in six cases arising out of theft of electricity equipment, in which the petitioner was convicted upon admission of guilt under the plea bargaining mechanism.
The court noted in its order that the counsel for the petitioner submits that the discretion provided under Section 427(1) Cr.P.C. has not been exercised by the trial Judge.
The petitioner has confessed the crime on plea bargaining, considering that in all the cases the petitioner would be released after one and half years of imprisonment, as all the cases have been lodged by the police. The non exercise of discretion of consecutive or concurrent running of sentence by the trial Judge while convicting the petitioner simultaneously in six cases led to travesty of justice and long incarceration in jail.
