ANNAMNEEDI GANGASAGAR Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This case provides a typical and telling example of the turbulence which the adolescent and the youth of the country are passing through at the present and the mental and psychological aberrations they are suffering from.

(2.) The accused, who is the apellant before us, was a young manwe could even say a boy-when he is alleged to have committed the murder and that too for gain. He was. nearly 16 years of age, to be precise 15 years 8 months when the occurence took place.

(3.) On 14th September, 1972, as the prosecution would have it, the accused went to a girls' school in Amalapuram town where the deceased was a pupil. She was aged 8 years. Her parents belonged to a different village, but her mother (P.W.2), who was a sickly woman, came down to the town to receive medical treatment. For that purpose, she, with the deceased child, was Mving with her brother (P.W.I) whose house was very near the school. P.W.4, the wife of P. W. I was a teacher in the school and usually the girl used to accompany her aunt to go to the school. That day also, after raid-day meal, the girl-her name is Udayakumari went in the company of her aunt to the school. At about 3-00 P. M. the school was having a recess. The girl was playing with other girls like P.Ws. 12 and 13. The accused went there and dangled before the girls a ring made of beads. He offered to give it to the girl who could catch it. Obviously no girl succeeded in the attempt. Seeivg that Udayakumari was having a ring on her finger and also ear-rings, the accused enticed her away promising to give her a similar ring. !n the first place, the two went to the shop of P.W.9 very near the school, and the accused purchased two chocolates for 10nP. He gave one to the deceased and promised to give the other sometime later. From there they proceeded further and went to serveral places. On the way, P.W.3 saw them together and finally at 5-00 p.m. P.W. 14 saw the accused in the company of the deceased at the junction of the main road with another by road. That was the last when the deceased was seen alive.