JUDGMENT

V. Gopala Gowda, J.

These Criminal Appeals are directed against the Judgment and Order dated 05.06.2006 passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh in Criminal Appeal No 716-DB of 2004. The Punjab and Haryana High Court affirmed the conviction and sentence of the accused for offences punishable under Sections 302, 376(2)(g), 148, 201,404 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code with different sentences of imprisonment which will be referred to in the later portion of the judgment to run concurrently and fine imposed upon them. The same is under challenge in these appeals by the appellants urging various grounds. However, the High Court acquitted the appellants of the charges framed under Sections 3 and 4 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

2. The appellants have prayed for allowing the appeals by setting aside the impugned judgment of the High Court and to acquit them from all the charges urging various facts and grounds in support of the questions of law framed in these appeals. For proper appreciation of rival factual and legal submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties the relevant facts in rel