Judgement

PANIGRAHI, J. :- In this revision the correctness of the conviction of the petitioner is challenged, and the only point argued before us is that his trial is vitiated by a misjoinder of charges.

2. The petitioner was the Postmaster of the experimental Branch Post Office at Kotpur under the Dharmsala P.S. in Cuttack district and in that capacity he received three postal money orders from the Dharmsala Post Office, for disbursement to the payees. The three money orders are:

(i) M.O. No.89, dated 18-12-48 for Rs.80/-payable to one Moti Bewa;

(ii) M.O. No.4824 dated 2-2-49 for Rs.60/-payabie to one Baidhar Parida; and

(iii) M.O. No.4825 dated 2-2-49 for Rs.20/-payable to one Rai Chandra Parida.

The prosecution case was - and it has been proved to the satisfaction of the Courts below - that the petitioner forged the thumb impressions of the payees on the money order vouchers, falsified the accounts of the Branch Post Office, and committed criminal misappropriation of the amounts covered by the three postal money orders aggregating Rs.160/-.

3. The prosecution proved that the thumb impressions on the money order vouchers alleged to be those of the payees had been forged and that the e