Judgment

WANCHOO, J.: These three appeals arise out of three certificates granted by the Punjab High Court in a criminal matter. They will be dealt with together as the point raised in them is common. The brief facts necessary for the purpose are these: There is a Govt. Printing Press at Rashtrapati Bhawan known as Rashtrapati Bhawan Printing Press which is located in the President s estate in New Delhi. Jacobs was the General Foreman of this Press., Every year the budget proposal are printed at this press under the supervision of Jacobs. As usual, Jacobs supervised the printing of budget proposals in his official capacity in February 1955 also. It appears that Jacobs entered into a conspiracy to divulge the budget proposals on receiving valuable consideration for the same. Consequently the proposals were divulged to D. P. Chadda and were passed on to certain businessmen of Bombay, including Nandlal More and Hiralal G. Kothari through one A. L. Mehra. All this was done against the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, No. XIX of 1923. Further an offence was committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, No. II of 1947, also inasmuch as money was paid to Jacobs for divulging the