MANI AND ORS. Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The appellants are accused Nos. 1 and 2 in S.C. No. 14 of 2010 on the file of learned Principal Sessions Judge-II, Kancheepuram. The third accused was one Chalendran @ Madan. They stood charged for the offences under Sections 341 I.P.C., 302 r/w 34 I.P.C. and 404 r/w 34 I.P.C. By judgment dated 08.02.2012, while acquitting the third accused of all the charges, the Trial Court convicted these two appellants under all the three charges and sentenced each one of them to undergo simple imprisonment for one month for the offence under Section 341 I.P.C., to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs. 1000/-, in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for six months for the offence under Section 302 r/w 34 I.P.C. and to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and to pay a fine of Rs.1000/-, in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for six months for the offence under Section 404 r/w 34 I.P.C. Challenging the said conviction and sentence, the appellants are before this Court with this appeal.

(2.) When the appeal was taken up for hearing, there is no representation on behalf of accused No.2. Therefore, Mr. A. Praveen Kumar, a learned member of the bar, was appointed by this Court as the legal aid counsel for A2 and a set of papers were entrusted to him immediately.

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