JUDGMENT

Jagannadhadas, J.

These are appeals by special leave by four persons, who along with one Ramniklal Keshavlal Jhaveri (since acquitted) were committed for trail in the Court of the Sessions Judge of Bombay, on charges of conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust of the funds of the Jupiter General Insurance Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Jupiter) and in pursuance of the said conspiracy of having committed criminal breach of trust, some of them being Directors and Agents of the said company.

They were alternatively charged for commission of the offence of criminal breach of trust by some of them as Directors and the others for abetting the commission of the criminal breach of trust committed by the Directors. The trial before the Sessions Judge was with the aid of a jury.

All of them except Jhaveri were found guilty. appellants in Criminal Appeals Nos. 53 and 54, Sardul Singh Caveeshar and Parmeshwar Nath Kaul, by a majority verdict and appellants in Criminal Appeals Nos. 55 and 56, Vallabhdas Phulchand Mehta and Charucharan Guha, by a unanimous verdict. The verdicts of the jury were accepted by the Sessions Judge who sentenced the appellants as follows:

Appellant