X, a reader in a university was found of guilty of an attempt to concoct degree certificates of the university. The Sessions Court justified a single days' punishment as a token punishment on the basis of the back ground of the offender and that he had no criminal tendencies as such, but on appeal by the State, the High Court enhanced the period of imprisonment. Justify the imposition of sentence with the help of decided cases.

X, a reader in a university was found of guilty of an attempt to concoct degree certificates of the university. The Sessions Court justified a single days' punishment as a token punishment on the basis of the back ground of the offender and that he had no criminal tendencies as such, but on appeal by the State, the High Court enhanced the period of imprisonment. Justify the imposition of sentence with the help of decided cases.

Issue:

1. Whether the act of concocting degree certificate is valid? NO

2. Whether the punishment awarded by Sessions Court valid? NO

3. Whether the punishment awarded by High Court Justified? YES

Rule:

The soft justice syndrome vis-a-vis white-collar offenders scandalize the Court. It stultifies social justice and camouflages needed severity with naive leniency.

Application:

This problem is related to the 'attitude of the lower judiciary towards the white-collar criminals;. The facts of the instant problem are similar to the following case.

Madhav Hayawadanrao Hoskot Vs. State of Maharashtra, AIR 1978 SC 1548, Dr. Hoskot, the petitioner, approached Dadholkar, a block-maker of Bombay, placed an order to prepare an embossing seal in the name of the Karnataka University, Dharwar, and forged a letter of authority purporting to have been signed by the personal Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor of the said University authorizing him to get the seals made. This Project Counterfeit Degrees, if we may so call it, had, perhaps, as its object the concoction of certificates of degrees by the Karnataka University. A degree-hungry community like ours offers a happy hunting ground for professionals in the fine art of fabricating academic distinctions.

The Sessions Court awarded him a single day's imprisonment. On appeal by the State, the High Court enhanced the period of imprisonment to three years. While upholding the sentence awarded by the High Court, the Supreme Court observed that it case of grave charges the administration must sternly view white-collar offenders. The Court Scandalized by this soft justice syndrome vis-a-vis white-collar offenders. It stultifies social justice and camouflages needed severity with native leniency.

Conclusion:

In the instant problem, the act of concocting university degree certificate is not valid. The one year punishment imposed by the Sessions Court not sufficient. Hence, the punishment enhanced by High Court is Justified.