JUDGMENT :

Instant criminal appeal filed under Section 374 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, lays challenge to Judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 20.05.2019, passed by learned Sessions Judge, Hamirpur, H.P. in Sessions Trial No. 72 of 2018, titled as State of Himachal Pradesh Vs. Anand Gopal, whereby the appellant (hereinafter referred to as "accused”), was convicted and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 10 years and to pay a fine of Rs.50,000/- and in default of payment of fine, to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of 6 months for the commission of offence punishable under Section 376 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). He was further sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of one year and to pay a fine of Rs.10,000/- and in default of payment of fine, to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of 3 months for the commission of offence punishable under Section 506 of IPC and out of the fine so realized, an amount of Rs.40,000/- be paid as compensation to the victim.

2. Brief facts of the case are that the husband of the prosecutrix is running a jewellery shop and they are having two sons. The accused used to perform Satsang