1. The three accused who faced trial before the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Thrissur, and convicted of the offences under sections 13 (1) (c) and 13(1)(d) r/w 13(2) of P.C. Act 1988 and sections 120-B, 409, 468, 471, 477A and Section 204 of IPC are the appellants in these appeals. They were sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for four years each and to pay a fine of Rs.50,000/-each for the offences under sections 13(1)(c) and 13(1)(d) r/w 13(2) of P.C. Act. Besides they were also sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for other offences for which they were found guilty and convicted.

2. Criminal Appeal No:554/2001 is the appeal filed by accused nos.2 and 3 in the aforesaid case and Criminal Appeal No.555/2001 is the appeal filed by accused no.1 in that case. The first accused was the Secretary and the second accused was the President of Erattayar Grama Panchayath. The third accused was then working as Upper Division clerk in that Panchayath. It was alleged that the aforesaid three accused persons entered into a criminal conspiracy in 1995 to misappropriate a sum of Rs.57,500/-. The amounts were allotted to the Panchayath under the Jawahar Rozgar Yoja