M.C. Garg, JJ.

1. All these appeals have been filed against the common judgment delivered on 25th January, 2004 in Sessions Trial No. 08/1994 by Special Judge, C.B.I. (Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988) and 6th A.S.J. Indore in which challans were filed separately based upon the investigation conducted by C.B.I. on R.C. No. 8 (A)/91-BPL and by which the accused Arun Khare, Prakash Nandedkar, Arvind Bhide, Pallavi Nandedkar, Ramesh Wankhede, Kaushal Ladia, Viney Majumdar, Murlidhar Demlani, Manohar Manglani and Girish Telang, were convicted under section 420 of IPC and sentenced to undergo R.I. for two years with fine of Rs. 1000/- each in default of payment of fine, to further undergo R.I. for three months each. All of them have also been convicted under section 120-B of IPC and sentenced to undergo one year R.I. with fine of Rs. 1000/- each; in default of payment of fine to further undergo R.I. for three months each. Accused Arun Khare and Arvind Bhide were also convicted under sections 13(1)(D) read with section 13(2) of the P.C. Act and have been sentenced to undergo R.I. for one year with fine of Rs. 1000/- each in default of payment of fine, to undergo R.I for three months. Details about the case number, appeal number, name of the accused persons who were involved, details of their conviction and sentence awarded to them are reproduced hereunder in the chart form:-

Sr. No.	Criminal Appeal No.	S.T. No.	Name of Accused/ appellants	Conviction and Sentence	Allegations
1	120/2006	08/1994	Arun Khare Branch Manager, Rambag Branch Indore of Bank of India for the period of 18.2.1988 to 197.1990	U/s 13 (2)(d) and 13(2) of P.C. Act R.I. for one year with fine of Rs.1000/- in default of payment of fine, to undergo R.I. for three months on each count. U/s 420 of IPC to undergo R.I. for two years with fine of Rs.1000/- in default of payment of fine, to further undergo R.I. for three months as well as U/s 120-B of IPC, one year R.I. with fine of Rs. 1000/- in default of payment of fine, to further undergo R.I. for three months	Purchased nine cheques-50,000/- each
2.	121/2006	-//-	Prakash Nandedkar One of the Director of M/s Scholars Yard School, Indore	U/s 420 of IPC to undergo R.I. for two years with fine of Rs.1000/- in default of payment of fine, to further undergo R.I. for three months as well as u/s 120-B of IPC, one year R.I. with fine of Rs.1000/- in default of payment of fine, to further undergo R.I. for three months	Cheques were seized from his house and he admitted the liability vide letter P/68 dated 19.11.1990. The cheques were drawn in favour of Dinesh Sharma who is absconder, Pradeep Pallad who is being tried separately, Ramesh Wankhede and Koshal Ladia and infact, has entered into a compromise with the banks by also making payment

2. Investigation commenced after C.B.I. registered the FIR suo moto vide R.C. No. 8 (A)/ 91-BPL. The allegations made in the said FIR are as under:

A credible information exists in these branch of C.B.I. Jabalpur to the following affect:-

That Shri A.K. Khare, while functioning a branch manager, Bank of India, Rambag Branch, Indore, entered into criminal conspiracy with the Partners/Proprietors Associates and their relatives of the firm M/s. Sonex Construction Material Trading Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd. Indore and other unknown persons/practices, during the period 1989-90, and in furtherance of the said criminal conspiracy Shri Khare fraudulently and dishonestly, purchased a huge number of bogus cheques unauthorisedly, drawn on 9 different parties of Indore of the said firm, aggregating Rs. 9 Lakhs (approx) beyond his delegated financial authority.

It is alleged that all the said 9 different parties are interconnected with M/s. Sonex Construction Ma