The appellants have challenged the legality of the Judgment of conviction and Order of sentence dated 01.03.2010 passed in S.C.No.316/2007 by the IV Addl. District and Sessions Judge at Mysore. By the said Judgment, the appellants were convicted for the offence punishable under S.306 read with S.114 of IPC and sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for 4 years and pay fine of Rs.2,000/each and in default of payment of fine to undergo simple imprisonment for a further period of one month each.

2. Facts necessary for consideration and disposal of this appeal and as presented by the prosecution can be stated as follows:

Smt.Padmamma, wife of Sri C. Ramachandra (PW1), was a Secretary of Haropura Milk Producers Women Cooperative Society (‘the Society’ for short). She was suspended from duty on 14.02.2004 by the Management Committee of the Society. The order of suspension was challenged before the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies at Hunsur and an order of stay was passed. Thereafter, Padmamma had gone to the Society to join duty and the accused being the Directors and the employees of the Society, did not allow her to join duty. That on 01.04.2007, all the accused