RAVINDRA KEVAL BACHHAV Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) BEING aggrieved by the judgment and order of conviction and sentence passed on 19-9-1998 by III Additional Sessions judge, Nasik in Sess. Case No. 160/97 the appellants named above has preferred this appeal on the grounds mentioned in the memo of appeal and as verbally canvassed by the learned Advocate appearing on behalf of the appellants before us.

(2.) WITH the assistance of the learned Counsel for the defence and the prosecution we have scrutinized the record and reappreciated the evidence.

(3.) THE prosecution story stated briefly is that there used to be frequent quarrels between the man and wife i. e. the accused and the deceased. On 15-9-1996 in the morning it is alleged that the accused poured kerosene on body of his wife Shalini and burnt her to death. On the report of such death being filed investigation was carried out. The accused and all his relations who are present appellants were arrested. Some of them were later on released on bail for committing assault on the victim under section 498-A and against accused No. 1 the husband for murdering the wife under section 302 of Indian Penal Code. The prosecution examined as many as 12 witnesses in support of its case that the accused was the person who committed murder and rest of the accused were persons who tortured her before she being murdered.