MUTHIAH Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The appellant is the sole accused in S.C.No.324 of 2007, on the file of the learned Sessions Judge, Mahila Court/Mahalir Neethimandram, Madurai. He stood charged for the offence under Sections 302, 201 I.P.C. and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. By Judgment, dated 13.06.2011, the Trial Court convicted the appellant under Sections 302 and 201 I.P.C. alone and acquitted him from the charge under Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. The Trial Court sentenced him to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs.1,000/- in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for six months for the offence under Section 302 I.P.C. and to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years and to pay a fine of Rs.500/- in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month, for the offence under Section 201 I.P.C. The sentences have been ordered to run concurrently. Challenging the said conviction and sentence, the appellant is before this Court, with this Criminal Appeal.

(2.) The case of the prosecution, in brief, is as follows:

(3.) Based on the above materials, the Trial Court framed charges as detailed in the first paragraph of this Judgment. The accused denied the same. In order to prove the case, on the side of the prosecution, as many as, 18 witnesses were examined and 15 documents were exhibited, besides 6 Material Objects.