JUDGMENT

G.B. Pattanaik, J.-This appeal by grant of special leave is directed against the order of acquittal passed by the High Court of Allahabad, Lucknow Bench in Criminal Appeal No. 55 of 1978.

2. The four respondents were tried for offences under Sections 147, 148, 302/149 and 201/511 I.P.C. on the allegation that they alongwith some unknown persons mercilessly assaulted deceased Bachan Shah with knives and lathis and thereafter carried a cycle of the deceased and dragged the dead body of the deceased to the nearby grove and left it in a pit and escaped from the place of occurrence. The learned Additional Sessions Judge convicted 4 respondents under Section 147 and 302 read with Section 149 I.P.C. and further convicted respondents Inder Dutt, Raghu Raj and Bikram under Sections 148, 302 and 201/511 of the Indian Penal Code. Respondent Noori, however, was acquitted of the charge under Section 201/511 against her. All of them were sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 302/149 and respondent Noori was further sentenced to undergo for one year under Section 147 and the rest 3 respondents were sentenced under Section 148 of the Indian Penal Code and R.I. for one year under Sect