In Brief
A man convicted under Section 394 IPC (dacoity) for 3 years sought special leave to appeal against the High Court's confirmation of his conviction with modified sentence. During hearing, the accused and victim reached a settlement and jointly sought permission to compound the offence. Although Section 394 offences are ordinarily non-compoundable under Section 320 Cr.P.C., the Supreme Court allowed the compounding application by invoking Article 142, reducing the sentence while maintaining conviction. The Court held that pragmatic justice and settlement between parties can justify reducing sentences in non-compoundable offences when circumstances warrant.
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