JUDGMENT

CHINNAPPA REDDY, J.

( 1 ) THIS appeal has been filed under S. 2 (a) of the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Act, 1970. The appellant was acquitted by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Chittor of an offence under S. 302, Indian Penal Code The acquittal was reversed by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and the appellant was convicted under S. 302, Indian Penal Code and sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life.

( 2 ) THE deceased Subhadramma was the wife of the appellant. They were married about one and a half years before the occurrence. About three months before the occurrence the deceased gave birth to a female child in the house of the accused at Cherlopalle. After the 9th day the mother and child, according to customary practice, were taken by the mother of the deceased to her house at Krishna Kalva Cherlopalle is about 25 miles from Krishna Kalva. The accused used to visit his wife and often used to stay in the house of the deceaseds mother. After about one and a half months the accused asked his mother-in-law and brother-in-law to send his wife to his place. They replied that she had only delivered a child recently and that she would be