JUDGMENT :

Dipankar Datta, J.

1. These criminal appeals, by special leave, assail the common judgment and order dated 12th October, 2022 of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Bench at Jabalpur (“High Court”, hereafter) whereby Criminal Appeal No. 10474 of 2019 and Criminal Appeal No. 10549 of 2019 [appeals under Section 374(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (“Cr. PC”, hereafter)] carried by Manoj Kumar Soni (“Manoj”, hereafter) and Kallu @ Habib (“Kallu”, hereafter), respectively, were dismissed. While Manoj assailed his conviction for the offence punishable under Section 411 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (“IPC”, hereafter) and sentence of rigorous imprisonment of three years with a fine of Rs.5,000.00 and a default sentence of three months, Kallu assailed his conviction for the offence punishable under Section 120-B, IPC and sentence of rigorous imprisonment of ten years with a fine of Rs.5,000.00 and a default sentence of three months.

2. In all, five accused persons were convicted and sentenced for different offences punishable under the IPC vide the common judgment of the Addi