JUDGMENT

S. A. BOBDE, J.

1. Leave granted in SLP (Crl.) No. 3737/2014.

2. These appeals are preferred by four accused against the common Judgment of the High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur, confirming the Judgment of the Additional Sessions Judge, Bemetara, District Durg, convicting the appellants under Section 302 read with Sections 34 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code [hereinafter referred to as “IPC”] and sentencing each of them to undergo imprisonment for life with a fine of Rs. 1,000/-, and in default, to undergo additional rigorous imprisonment for three months. These appeals have been taken up for disposal together since they arise from a common judgment of the High Court deciding the appeals of the accused.

3. The appellant -Raju @ Devendra Choubey (accused no. 4) has filed Criminal Appeal No. 822 of 2012. The appellant -Mahesh (accused no. 3) has filed Criminal Appeal No. 867 of 2013. The appellant -Beenu @ Chandra Prakash (accused no. 2) has filed Criminal Appeal No. 589 of 2014. The appellant -Smt. Shashi Tripathi (accused no. 1) has filed Criminal Appeal arising out of Special Leave Petition (Criminal) No. 3737 of 2014.

4. PW-1 – Dr. Sharda Prasad Tripathi is the husb