JUDGMENT

Venkataswami J.-All these appeals by special leave are preferred against the common judgment of the Karnataka High Court in Criminal Appeal Nos. 791, 792 of 1988 and 129-130 of 1989 dated 20th July, 1990. Briefly stated the facts as presented by the prosecution are the following :-

2. P.W. 16 Praveen Chandra was the Divisional Forest Officer of Sirsi Division during the relevant period. On 19.4.1988 at about 4.00 p.m. he received a phone call from an annonymous caller that at night at about 1.00 a.m. (20.4.1988) there was likelihood of a lorry transporting forest produce from Manjuguni side and the same person called P.W 16 half an hour later and informed him that his officials would do well to be present near Kambigar cross at about 11.00 p.m. itself.

3. The area referred to by the annonymous caller fell in the jurisdiction of Hulekal Range Forest Office. Accordingly, P.W. 16 summoned the deceased Arvind Hegde, the concerned Forest Range Officer to meet him to take instructions in connection with the above-said phone call. The deceased met P.W. 16 at about 6.30 p.m. on 19.4.1988 and he was asked by P.W. 16 to keep a watch at the Kambigar Cross to intercept the lorry that was