(1.) These criminal appeals have been filed against the judgment of conviction and sentence dtd. 29/9/2011 passed by the learned Principal Sessions Judge, Dharmapuri, in S.C.No.1 of 2008.
(2.) The respondent police registered a case in Crime No.RC.3/(S)/95 for the offence under Ss. 143, 147, 149, 323, 427, 344 of IPC, 323 r/w 34 IPC, 376, 201 and 203 of IPC, Sec. 3 (i)(x)(xi)(xiii)(xv) of the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (in short "the SC/ST Act"), 3(ii)(vi) and (vii) and Sec. 4 of SC/ST Act, against 269 accused, who were Forest Officials, Revenue Officials and Police Officials respectively. After completing investigation, they laid charge sheet, which was taken on file in S.C.No.1 of 2008.
(3.) In order to prove the charges, prosecution has examined 75 witnesses as P.Ws.1 to 75 and marked 324 documents as Exs.P1 to P324, besides two material objects were exhibited as M.Os.1 and 2. After completing examination of prosecution witnesses, when incriminating circumstances culled out from the evidence of prosecution witnesses and put before the accused, they denied the same as false and pleaded not guilty. On the side of the defence, D.Ws.1 to 3 were examined and Exs.D1 to D32 were marked.