JUDGMENT:

Dr. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J.

1. Leave granted.

2. Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment of the Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court partly allowing the appeal filed by the appellants. Learned Additional Sessions Judge, Sonepat by judgment dated 8.8.1997 had convicted appellants Narain Singh, Ramesh, Naresh and one Suresh Kumar for offences punishable under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in short IPC). They were sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs.20,000/- each with default stipulation. They were also convicted under Section 323 read with Section 34 IPC and sentenced to undergo three months RI. Accused- appellant Narain Singh was convicted for offence punishable under Section 27 of the Arms Act, 1959 (in short Arms Act) and sentenced to undergo one year RI. It is to be noted that the appellant-Narain Singh is the father of the other accused persons.

3. Prosecution version in a nutshell is as follows:

3.1. One Smt. Raj Bala (PW.3) set the law into motion. Smt. Bala lodged report with police stating that her husband Balbir (hereinafter referred to as the deceased) was employed as a driver in the De