SENTHIL ALIAS CHINNA CHETTY Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS judgment shall govern C.A. Nos. 240, 391 and 659 of 2000 and Crl. R.C. No.402 of 2001. C.A. No.240/00 is by A-2 to A-5 and C.A. No.391/00 is by A-1 against their conviction and sentence, while C.A. No.659/00 is preferred by the State against the acquittal of A-2 to A-7, while Crl. R.C. No.402/01 is by P.W.3 aggrieved over the judgment of acquittal by the trial court.

(2.) APPELLANTS, seven in number, stood charged before the Addl. Sessions Court, Nagapattinam in S.C. No.187/99 under the following provisions of law and were also found guilty as stated below. A-6 and A-7 were charged under Section 147 IPC, but were acquitted; A-1 to A-5 were charged under Section 148 IPC and on being found guilty they were each sentenced to one year rigourous imprisonment and also directed to pay a fine of Rs.500/= with a default sentence of three months. A-1 and A-2 were charged under Section 341 IPC and on being found guilty each one of them was directed to pay a fine of Rs.500/= with a default sentence of three months simple imprisonment. A-1 on being found guilty under Section 302 IPC as charged, was sentenced to imprisonment for life and also directed to pay a fine of Rs.1,000/= with a default sentence of six months rigourous imprisonment. A-6 and A-7 though were charged under Section 302 read with 114 IPC, were acquitted. A-2 to A-5 though were charged under Section 302 read with 149 IPC were found guilty under Section 324 read with 149 IPC and each one of them was sentenced to rigourous imprisonment for one year and each one of them was directed to pay a fine of Rs.500/= with a default sentence of three months rigourous imprisonment.

(3.) ON receipt of the requisition, P.W.12, the doctor attached to the Tiruvarur Government Hospital, conducted autopsy on the dead body of the deceased and found the following injuries :-