Judgment

FAZL ALI, J.:- This appeal by special leave is directed against the judgment of Punjab and Haryana High Court, which while upholding conviction of the appellant under Section 302 I.P.C. reduced the sentence to imprisonment for life. The appeal is confined to the question of sentence and nature of the offence committed. According to the prosecution two persons, viz., the appellant Karnail Singh and Zora Singh had assaulted the deceased Sarwan Singh. Zora Singh was acquitted by the Sessions Judge, who found that he was falsely implicated due to enmity. The State did not file any appeal against the acquittal of Zora Singh but the complainant had filed Criminal Revision in the High Court which was dismissed by the High Court. The High Court found that Karnail Singh had assaulted the deceased and it accordingly upheld the conviction of the appellant under Section 302 I.P.C. but reduced the sentence to imprisonment for life. According to the prosecution there was some enmity between the deceased Sarwan Singh and Karnail Singh resulting from land disputes. On the 20th June, 1970 at about 5.00 A.M. in the morning while the deceased was sleeping in Khalyan along with his nephews son