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NON-REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL  NO(S).  1237 OF 2018 [@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CRL.) NO. 3172 OF 2018]

OMPRAKASH @ MANTA                             Appellant(s)

                               VERSUS

THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH                   Respondent(s)

J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J.

1. Leave granted.

2. The appellant is aggrieved since the High Court

declined to suspend the sentence during the pendency

of the criminal appeal pending before the High Court.

It  is  not  in  dispute  that  the  sentence  has  been

suspended in the case of Accused Nos. 2, 3 and 4, who

have  been  convicted  and  sentenced  along  with  the

appellant herein.

3. Having heard the learned counsel appearing for

the appellant and the learned counsel appearing for

the  State  and  having  gone  through  the  available

pleadings  before  us,  we  are  of  the  view  that  the

sentence needs to be suspended in the case of the

appellant herein also on the ground of parity.

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4. Accordingly,  this  appeal  is  disposed  of  as

follows :-

(i) The appellant shall be released on bail subject

to  depositing  the  entire  fine  amount  and  on

furnishing a personal bond to the tune of Rs.50,000/-

(Rupees Fifty Thousand) with two solvent sureties of

the  like  amount  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Chief

Judicial Magistrate, Katni.

(ii) The  appellant  shall  also  appear  before  the

Registry of the High Court on the last working day of

every month.   

.......................J.               [ KURIAN JOSEPH ]  

.......................J.               [ SANJAY KISHAN KAUL ]  

.......................J.               [ NAVIN SINHA ]  

New Delhi; October 01, 2018.