M.P. CHINNAPPA Vs. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Sessions Judge, Kodagu, by his judgment dated 21.11.2013 in S.C.24/2013 convicted the accused for the offences under sections 302 and 201 IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs.50,000/- with a default clause of three years imprisonment for the offence under section 302 IPC; and rigorous imprisonment for five years and fine of Rs.10,000/- with default clause of rigorous imprisonment for one year in relation to offence under section 201 IPC. Aggrieved by this judgment, the accused has preferred this appeal. Briefly stated, the prosecution case is as follows : -

(2.) On 28.11.2012 PW14 Cheluvuraju and PW15 Shankar felt a foul smell in the cardamom estate of PW2 Anil Ponnappa, their employer. They went to the place from where this smell was emanating and saw a dead body. They informed PW2 about it. Thereafter PW2 also came to that place, saw the dead body and then informed the same to the police in writing. The police registered an FIR against unknown persons, held investigation and filed charge sheet against the accused.

(3.) The learned trial judge, based on the evidence of 24 witnesses, 19 documents marked as per Exs.P1 to P19 and 4 material objects MO1 to MO4, concluded that the prosecution was able to prove all the circumstances pointing to the accused to have been involved in the incident and therefore convicted and sentenced him as above.