YEDDULA SURYANARAYANA REDDY Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) All these criminal appeals and the criminal revision case are filed against the judgment in SC No. 378 of 1998, dated 28-11-2008 passed by the VI Addl. Sessions Judge, (Fast Track Court), Anantapur at Gooty.

(2.) The Accused A-1 to A-4, A.6 to A-8, A-10 and A-11 were charged for the offences punishable under Sections 120B, 148 and 302 IPC. It is relevant to mention here itself that A-5 and A-9 who were also charged along with the accused had died before the trial. Substance of the charge against the accused was that all the accused conspired to commit murder of deceased Shiva Prasad Reddy and in furtherance of the said conspiracy committed murder of deceased Shiva Prasad Reddy by hacking him with hunting sickles indiscriminately all over his body resulting in his death on the way to Government Hospital, Gooty. The plea of the accused is one of denial and they claimed to be tried. In order to connect the accused with the crime and bring home the guilt of the accused, the prosecution examined 12 witnesses, PWs. 1 to 12, marked documents Exs. P-1 to P-15 and produced Mos. 1 to 16. The accused examined DWs. 1 to 4 as defence witnesses and marked documents Exs. D-1 to D-10.

(3.) The Sessions Court, after appreciating the oral and documentary evidence adduced by the parties, by the judgment impugned in these cases. held that A-1 to A-4, A-6, A-7, A-8, A-10 and A-11 were not guilty of the offence punishable under Section 120B IPC and accordingly acquitted them of the said charge. It was also found that A-6, A-7 and A-8 were not guilty of the offences punishable under Section 302 IPC accordingly they were acquitted of the charge. However, the Sessions Court found A-1 to A-4, A-10 and A-11 guilty of the offences punishable under Sections 148 IPC and 302 IPC and accordingly convicted and sentenced them to undergo imprisonment for life.