(1.) Referred Trial No.4 of 2021 arises out of a reference made by the Special Court for Exclusive Trial of SC/ST (PoA) Act Cases, Cuddalore (for brevity "the trial Court") under Sec. 366 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Cr.P.C) for confirmation of the death sentence imposed on Marudhupandiyan (A.2), vide a judgment and order dtd. 24/9/2021 passed in Sessions Case (S.C.) No.3 of 2019.
(2.) In addition, six criminal appeals have been filed by the other accused assailing their convictions and sentences passed vide the judgment and order referred to, supra, passed by the trial Court. In view of the commonality of issues involved, this common judgment shall govern the decision in all the aforesaid cases.
(3.) The facts present themselves as a complex web of four intricately interwoven narratives. We begin by first setting out certain undisputed facts, and facts that have been proved beyond a cavil.