(1) SPECIAL leave granted. Arguments heard, (2) APPELLANTS 1-9 have been convicted under S. 379 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, for having harvested crops at the instance of respondent 1 Gangadhar Das, the landlord. The only con- tention advanced on behalf of the appellants is one of sentence. It is urged by learned counsel for the appellants that the appellants are poor and illiterate tribals and have been subjected to endless harassment by a spate of prosecutions launched by respondent 1 due to dispute over cultivation and harvesting of crops on lands cultivated by them. In the circumstances, we are inclined to take a compassionate view and remit the substantive sentence of imprisonment. We accordingly while maintaining the conviction of appellants 1-9 direct that appellant 8 Sonu Muduli Tilu shall be released on probation under S. 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 on his entering into a personal bond for maintaining good behaviour for a period of one year, to the satisfac- tion of the Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Koraput. The remaining appellants 1-7 and 9 having earlier been given the benefit of S. 4 of the Act on their conviction under S. 447 of the Indian Penal Code, cannot be given the benefit of S. 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act. We however reduce their sentence of imprisonment to the period already undergone. (3) SUBJECT to this modification in the sentence, we dismiss the appeal.