JUDGMENT

David Annoussamy, J. - This is a revision petition against the conviction and sentence, preferred by all the four accused.

2. The first accused is the manager and the fourth accused is the Assistant Manager of Manjurae Plantations and accused 2 and 3 are the conductors in the same plantations. The respondent complainant in this case is a workman. He filed a complaint to the police on 1-12-1978, stating that on the previous day, viz., 30-11-1978, all the four accused confined him in a room, beat him up and also extorted his signature in a blank paper. He was sent by the police to the Gudalur hospital where he stayed for six days. However, the final report of the Police was to the effect that no offence appeared to have been committed by the accused. Thereupon, the complainant filed a private complaint before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Gudalur on 28-2-1979. The matter was adjourned to 14-3-1979 for recording the sworn statement of the complainant. The complainant filed another complaint on 3-5-1979 stating that he could not appear on 14-3-1979 and that he learnt that the complaint was dismissed. The second complaint was taken on file by the Magistrate. The sworn