HARIAPPAN Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE appellant who is convicted for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A and 302, IPC and sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life for the offence u/s 302, IPC and R. I for 2 years for the offence u/s 498-A, IPC has challenged the Judgment of conviction and sentence in this appeal. He was charged and tried for these two offences by the learned II Addl. Sessions Judge, D. K. , Mangalore.

(2.) THE case of the prosecution in a nut shell is as follows :

(3.) THE accused who was charged for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A and 302, IPC denied the charges. In proof of the charges against the accused, the prosecution examined in all 13 witnesses and got marked Exts. P 1 to P 16 and produced M. Os 1 to 6. The accused was examined as required under Section 313, Cr. P. C. The accused admitted his presence at the time of the incident. According to him, P. W. 1, Keshava came to his house after he extinguished the fire and thereafter, he took his wife to the house of his sister Dejamma and that his wife died as a result of burn injuries. He has not pleaded any specific defence nor has he offered the cause for the burn injuries to his wife. The learned Sessions Judge, upon consideration of the evidence placed on record and certain admissions made by the accused in his statement recorded under Section 313, Cr. P. C. held him guilty of the offences alleged against him and passed the impugned judgment.