JUDGMENT

Arijit Pasayat, J. — Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment rendered by a Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court upholding the conviction of the four appellants under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short the IPC) and sentence of imprisonment for life as awarded by learned Principal Sessions Judge, Kurnool.

2. Accusations which led to trial of the appellants was that on 27.4.1999 at about 8.30 p.m. they caused homicidal death of one Khaja Saheb (hereinafter referred to as the Deceased) by hacking and stabbing with sickles and knives.

3. Prosecution version in a nutshell is as follows:

On 27.4.1999, sometime prior to the occurrence, Khaja Saheb (the deceased) S. Venkateswara Reddy, G. Thirumalesh Gowd and T. Sreenivaslu (PWs. 1, 2 and 3) were at a place called "Ramesh Hotel" near the Silver Jubilee College of Kurnool Town. Thereafter they started on 2 two wheelers i.e. the deceased and PW1 on the first vehicle, followed by PWs. 2 and 3 on another vehicle. The deceased was driving the first of the above mentioned two wheelers. PW1 was the pillion rider. When the deceased and PW1 reached near the railway gate located on their way, an auto-rickshaw o