JUDGMENT

Dr. AR. Lakshmanan, J.-The above appeals were filed against the judgment dated 14/02/2003 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras in Criminal Appeal Nos. 315 and 539 of 1999 filed by A-1 Ravi and A-2 Pakkaraji. The appellant herein was the appellant in Criminal Appeal No. 315 before the High Court and was A-1 before the Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Pondicherry. The learned Sessions Judge acquitted A-2 of the offence under Section 302 I.P.C. The State also has not filed any appeal against the said acquittal of A-2 of the offence of murder.

2. The following charges were made against the accused:

The Inspector of Police, Villianur Circle, Pondicherry has laid a charge sheet against the accused alleging that on 6.3.1996 at about 1230 hrs. the accused A-1 (Ravi), A-2 (Raja @ Pukkaraji) and four others alleging that they formed themselves into an unlawful assembly, armed with deadly weapons with a common object of such assembly, viz., to cause the death of one Shanmugam due to previous enmity and in furtherance of common object of such assembly, trespassed into the house of Adhikesavan, the brother of the deceased Shanmugam and caused bleeding injuries to Shanmugam