JUDGMENT

S. RATNAVEL PANDIAN, J.:— These two criminal appeals are preferred by the appellants, namely - Narendra Pratap Narain Singh and Puran Singh who were arrayed as accused Nos. 1 and 2 before the trial Court, against the judgments dated 8-5-1979 rendered in Criminal Appeals Nos. 158 and 157 of 1977 on the file of Allahabad High Court, Lucknow arising out of Sessions trials Nos. A-2 1 0 and 228 of 1974 whereby the High Court by a common judgment and order set aside the convictions and sentence under Ss. 467 and 471, I. P. C. but, however, upheld their conviction under S. 409, I.P.C. and reduced the substantive sentence of imprisonment to the period already undergone and the sentence of fine from Rs. 500 to Rs. 250 and in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for six months in each of the cases.

2. The material facts as unfolded from the records can be stated thus:

There was a Block Development Office in the district of Sultanpur known as Dhanpatganj Block to which a seed store known as Semrauna seed store was attached. The seed store was to cater to the needs and requirements of the cultivators for seeds and fertilisers etc. During 1964-65, the first appellant was in charge of