JUDGMENT

Thomas, J.-These appeals relate to a case of mercenary killing. Though the principal target of the killers was one Ram Kishore Somani @ Ram they could kill only his younger brother Ashok Somani, who, per chance was with his elder brother then, due to his jinxed destiny. Nevertheless they succeeded in brutally mangling the targeted person inflicting a lot of injuries on him, some of them near fatal. As he survived such injuries he appeared in the trial Court to tell the tale.

2. If the story is true, the intrigue was hatched, ironically at the precinots of a court of law and its finale was staged on a public road near the Employment Exchange Office at Amravati (Maharashtra). Ten person, in all, were charge-sheeted by the police in connection with the said case, out of which one Anil Chaudhary (PW.2) was granted pardon as he turned an approver. Four of the remaining alone were convicted and all the rest were acquitted by the trial Court. The State appealed against the acquittal and the convicted accused appealed against their conviction and sentence. During the pendency of the appeal A.2-Ram Kishore Yadao - the kingpin - died and the appeal as against him got abated.

3. A Divis