JUDGMENT

S.P. Kurdukar, J.-The two appellants alongwith Bimal Kaur (acquitted) were put up for trial for committing the murder of Surinder Kaur, an offence punishable under Section 302/34 of the Indian Penal Code. Surinder Kaur was the wife of Amarjit Singh (A-1) whereas Bimal Kaur (acquitted accused) happens to be the wife or Prem Singh (A-2). The trial court vide its judgment and order dated 28.7.1986 convicted the appellants under Section 302/34 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced them to suffer life imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs. 3,000. Bimal Kaur, however, was given the benefit of doubt and acquitted. The appellants aggrieved by the order of conviction and sentence passed by the trial court preferred an appeal to the Punjab & Haryana High Court at Chandigarh. The Division Bench of the High Court on re-appraisal of materials on record vide its judgment and order dated April 5, 1988 dismissed the appeal and confirmed the order of conviction and sentence passed by the trial Court. It is this judgment and order passed by the High Court which is the subject matter of challenge in these two criminal appeals filed by A-2 and A-1 respectively.

2. Briefly stated the prosecution