GONCHI RAJASHEKHAR REDDY Vs. STATE OF AP

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Twenty eight accused were tried by the Additional Sessions Judge, Hindupur for various offences and the Sessions Judge convicted A-1 to A-7, A-9 to A-14, A-16 and A-21 to A-23 for the offence punishable under Section 302 read with Section 149, IPC and sentenced them to suffer imprisonment for life. However, A-8, A-15, A-17 to A-20, A-24 to A-28 were acquitted. The second accused contended to be a juvenile at the time of commission of the crime and filed a separate appeal before the High Court. His conviction and sentence was stayed and the matter was remitted for fresh trial.

(2.) The High Court, in an appeal preferred by the convict- accused confirmed the conviction and sentence entered by the Sessions Court. They have filed the two instant appeals before this Court.

(3.) Brief facts of the case giving rise to these appeals are thus. There were two political groups in a small village by name Susankota. One group was under the leadership of Narasimha Reddy who had at some time been the Village Administrative Officer. The other political faction was under Narasimha Reddy alias Appaiah. The appellants in this case are the followers of Appaiah. The prosecution case was that on 10-12-1997 PW-1 Ramalakshmamma and PW-2 Sreelatha, wife and daughter of deceased Sanjeeva Reddy were sleeping on the ground floor of their house. While PW-4 is the elder brother, PW-6 and PW-7 are the children of deceased Narsimha Reddi. On the date of the incident i.e. 10-12-1997, at about 2.30 AM, PW-1 to PW-3 heard some noise outside their house. They woke up and saw A-1 to A-9 and other accused trespassing into their house by breaking open the doors. They dragged deceased Sanjeeva Reddy into the hall and then A-1, A-2, A-6 and A-4 caused various injuries to him. It is also alleged that A-1 drenched a piece of banian (undervest) with kerosene, lit the same and threw it on the body of Sanjeeva Reddy, who died instantaneously. The accused who had trespassed into the house, also caused damage to the household articles.