JUDGMENT

Mukerji, J. - These are two applications made by two of the accused per-sons in what is known as the Meerut. Conspiracy Case in which a large number of persons has been charged with the commission of an offence u/s 121-A, I. P.C. namely a conspiracy to deprive the King-Emperor of His sovereignty of British India. The maximum sentence laid down in the section is transportation for life.

2. The two applicants were allowed to appear in person to argue their applications as they were not represented by counsel in the Court below or in this Court. In issuing the orders for the appearance of the applicants we took care to say that the permission to appear was not to be treated as a precedent for all accused persons in all oases.

3. A short history of the proceedings in Court against the applicants is as follows.

4. The applicant Mr. Nimbkar and several others were arrested on 20th March 1929 and have since been in custody as under-trial prisoner's. The applicant Mr. Hutchinson was arrested about three months later on 14th June 1929, and has been since in custody for nearly two years. The proceedings before the Magistrate started on 12th June 1929 and the order for commitment to the