JUDGMENT :

1. These criminal appeals under Section 374 Cr.P.C. have been preferred against the judgment dated 23.03.2000 passed by the learned Special Judge, Prevention of Corruption Act Cases, Bikaner in Sessions (Prevention of Corruption) Case No.11/95 (121/97), whereby the accused-appellants were convicted for the offences under Sections 7 & 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (hereinafter referred to as ‘Act of 1988’); for the offence under Section 7, each of the accused-appellants were sentenced to undergo six months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000/-and; for the offence under Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2), each of the accused-appellants were sentenced to undergo one year’s rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1,000/-; in default of payment of the aforesaid fine, each of the accused-appellants were to undergo further three months rigorous imprisonment. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

2. As the pleaded facts and the record would reveal, the charge against the present accused-appellants is that accused-appellant Madan Lal and accused-appellant Narendra Kumar, while, at the relevant time, being posted a