Judgment

CHANDRACHUD, CJI.:- In both these appeals special leave was granted limited to the question of nature of offence and sentence.

2. The learned First Addl. Sessions Judge, Bhopal in Sessions Trial No. 163/74, convicted appellant Bhupendra Singh (original accused 1) for having committed an offence under Section 324, I. P. C. and appellants in the connected Criminal Appeal (original accused 2-5) were convicted in the same trial for having committed an offence under S. 324 read with S. 149, I. P. C. On the question of sentence the learned trial Judge observed that all the accused persons belonged to age group of 19-20 years and at the time of the offence they were studying in a college. After taking into consideration the circumstances attendant upon the commission of the offence the learned Judge came to the conclusion that this was a fit case in which the benefit of the provisions of Probation of Offenders Act should be given to the accused with the condition that accused Bhupendra Singh should pay Rs. 250/- to injured P. W. 4 Subhash Sharma and Rs. 200/- to injured P. W. 1 Arun Sharma as and by way of compensation. A further direction was given that the remaining accused shall