#Section 4 PO Act

Allahabad HC sets a precedent by granting probation to a 65-year-old first-time offender convicted under Sections 436 and 452 IPC, emphasizing the mandatory consideration of age, lack of criminal antecedents, and rehabilitative potential under Section 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act. The ruling underscores that even grave offences like arson do not automatically preclude probation if the offender’s profile aligns with the Act’s rehabilitative objectives.

Orissa High Court rules that courts must mandatorily consider probation under Section 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act for offences not punishable with death or life imprisonment. Failure to do so constitutes a legal error, as seen in the case where the petitioner's conviction was set aside and probation granted with Rs. 3,000 compensation.

Orissa High Court grants probation to a 73-year-old convict under Section 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act, holding that prolonged trial delay, advanced age, and a previously clean record outweigh the gravity of the offence. The court mandates victim compensation as a condition, setting a precedent for judicial discretion in sentencing first-time elderly offenders.