Judgement

DAS GUPTA, J. : On June 11, 1961 at 5 p.m. the road in front of the Temple of Shri Maruti in the village of Chinchpur of Taluk Sholapur was the sense of a terrible tragedy. Three persons - Ravansidappa, and his two maternal uncles, Yellappa and Maruti were done to death there in a most gruesome manner. Ravansidappa s neck was severed from the body, except for a piece of skin and one of his legs was chopped off. The spinal cord and vertebra of Yellappa were cut off. The jaw, vertebra, tongue and a major part of the neck of Maruti were cut off.

2. The first information that reached the police station of this tragedy was by a letter of the village police patel written on the same day and addressed to the Police Sub-Inspector of Mandrup. It merely stated that three murders had taken place in course of riot and maramari at 5 p. m. in the evening and mentioning the names of the men who had been murdered. This letter reached the police station at 2.30 a.m. Head Constable Bansode who was in charge of the police station then left for the place of occurrence after having sent a report to the Police Sub-Inspector who was camping at Bhandrkavathe village. The Sub-Inspector reached Chin