KOTTA PRAKASHAN Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Fourteen persons were tried by the Sessions Judge, Thalassery for rioting, criminal trespass, murder and other cognate offences. The trial ended in an order of acquittal of four of them and conviction and sentence of the other ten under Ss. 143, 147, 447, 449, 427, 324, 326 and 302 read with S. 149, IPC. Against their convictions and sentences the ten convicts filed separate appeals in the High Court. While disposing of the appeals by a common judgment, the High Court acquitted five of them, but upheld the convictions and sentences of the five appellants before us (who were arryed as A1, A4, A6, A7 and A8 in the trial Court and hereinafter will be so referred to).

(2.) Briefly stated, the prosecution case is as under:-

(3.) The appellants denied their involvement in the offences alleged and contended that they had been falsely implicated due to political rivalry.