Power to enhance the sentence awarded by the trial court -...

Power to enhance the sentence awarded by the trial court - Dishonor of Cheque - insufficiency of funds - hile the Trial Court has consciously imposed fine of Rs. 5,000/- and no compensation ordered, in the appeal by the accused, no power vested on the Appellate Court to enhance the sentence ordering compensation in the absence of appeal by the complainant. The compensation is not an independent component under Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act which is a special Act. It should be part of the fine amount and fine is part of sentence. It is a trite principle of law that, in appeal preferred by the accused person sentence cannot be enhanced. Therefore, the order of the Appellate Court perverse, contrary to law, hence liable to be set aside. - HC