LAWS(APH)-2024-9-65

PONDURU NOOKA RAJU Vs. STATE OF AP

Decided On September 19, 2024
Ponduru Nooka Raju Appellant
V/S
State Of Ap Respondents

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The sole accused in Sessions Case No.54 of 2016 on the file of the learned II Additional Sessions Judge, Parvatipuram, is the appellant in the present Criminal Appeal. He was tried for the offences punishable under Ss. 302 and 201 IPC. By his judgment dtd. 27/1/2017, the learned Sessions Judge found the accused guilty of the charges under Ss. 302 and 201 IPC, accordingly convicted him of the said charges and sentenced him to suffer Rigorous Imprisonment for life and to pay fine of Rs.1,000.00 (Rupees One Thousand only), in default to suffer Rigorous Imprisonment for a period of three (3) months, for the offence punishable under Sec. 302 IPC. He was further sentenced to suffer Rigorous Imprisonment for two (2) years and to pay fine of Rs.500.00 (Rupees Five Hundred only), in default to suffer Rigorous Imprisonment for a period of two (2) months, for the offence punishable under Sec. 201 IPC. The substantive sentences were directed to run concurrently.

(2.) The substance of the charges is that, on 19/11/2015, at about 4.00 pm, at his fields situated at Ramabhadrapuram village, the accused caused the death of his wife, namely Ponduru Lakshmi (hereinafter referred to as "deceased") by strangulating her with a jute rope. In the course of same transaction, in order to screen the evidence, on 28/11/2015, the accused burnt the dead body of the deceased in the fields of PW.5, thereby committed the offences punishable under Ss. 302 and 201 IPC.

(3.) Case of the prosecution, as culled out from the evidence adduced by it, is as under.