SLP(Crl) 8719/21
1
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
Criminal Appeal No 1559 of 2021 (Arising out of SLP (Crl) No 8719 of 2021)
Ashok Kumar Verma Appellant(s)
Versus
State of Uttar Pradesh and Another Respondent(s)
O R D E R
1 Leave granted.
2 The appeal arises from a judgment of a Single Judge of the High Court of
Judicature at Allahabad dated 25 September 2019 in Criminal Revision No
1450 of 1998.
3 The appellant was tried for offences punishable under Sections 494 and 498
of the Indian Penal Code 1860. The appellant was convicted for the offence
punishable under Section 498A by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Varanasi
on 31 August, 1994 and was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one
year and to a fine of Rs 500. He was however acquitted of the offence under
Section 494.
SLP(Crl) 8719/21
2
4 The Additional District Judge, Varanasi dismissed the appeal against the
conviction and sentence on 29 August 1998.
5 The appellant had filed a criminal revision before the High Court. When the
revision came up before the High Court on 25 September 2019, counsel for
the appellant was absent. The Single Judge observed that in the
circumstances, the court had perused the record. Paragraph 1 of the order
reads as follows:
“Called in revise. None appeared to press this revision. In the circumstances, I myself have perused the record.”
6 On merits, the Single Judge observed:
“Having gone...