(1.) The appellants herein are the Accused Nos. 1 to 3 in Sessions Case No. 305 of 2007 on the file of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court No. III, Chennai and they have preferred this appeal challenging the conviction and sentence imposed on them by judgment dated 19.8.2008 in the case. For the sake of convenience, in this judgment, the appellants will be referred to as A1 to A3.
(2.) Charges under Sections 120-B, 380 and 302 read with 34 IPC were framed against Al Murali, A2 Sekar alias Rajasekar and A3 Sasi alias Sasikumar. The learned Additional Sessions Judge found Al to A3 guilty of the charges and convicted and sentenced them to undergo three years Rigorous Imprisonment each and to pay a fine of Rs. 1000/- each, in de-fault, to undergo Simple Imprisonment for six months each for the charge under Section 120-B IPC; convicted and sentenced them to undergo seven years Rigorous Imprisonment each and to pay a fine of Rs. 5000/- each, in de-fault, to undergo Simple Imprisonment for two years each for the charge under Section 380 IPC and convicted and sentenced them to undergo Life Imprisonment each and to pay a fine of Rs. 5000/- each, in default, to undergo Simple Imprisonment for two years each for the charge under Section 302 read with 34 IPC and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
(3.) To prove its case, the prosecution examined P.Ws.l to 18 and marked Exhibits P-l to P-33 and M.Os.l to 19.