THIRUPATHY BALAJI Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These Criminal Appeals have been filed by Accused Nos.1, 4, 5 and 7 to 10, challenging the conviction and sentence imposed upon them vide judgment dtd. 23/1/2023 in S.C.No.14 of 2014 on the file of the learned Principal District and Sessions Judge, Tiruvannamalai.

(2.) For the sake of convenience, the parties are referred to as per their ranking before the trial Court.

(3.) (i) The case of the prosecution is that A1 to A4 were closely related to each other; that A1 and A2 are brothers; that A3 is the father of A1 and A2; that A4 is the wife of A2; A5 was the driver of the lorry belonging to A2; A6 to A10 were employed in the Diary Farm run by A1; that A1 to A4 had prior enmity towards the deceased and there were many cases instituted against each other; that the deceased was a whistle-blower and had exposed the various illegal activities said to have been committed by A1 and his family members, including land grabbing and illegal sand mining; and that therefore A1 to A4 decided to do away with the deceased with the aid of the A5 to A10.