Judgment

Uday Umesh Lalit, J.

1. These appeals by special leave challenge the judgment and order dated 15.02.2008 passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana. Criminal Appeal Nos.1041-1042 of 2008 are by Ashwani Kumar @ Ashu and Joginder Singh, Criminal Appeal No.1043 of 2008 is by Anil Kumar while Criminal Appeal No.1814 of 2009 is by Darshan Singh. The appellants stand convicted under Sections 364/302/307 read with Section 120B IPC. Since these appeals arise from the same judgment, they are being dealt with and disposed by this common judgment. Initially eleven persons were sent for trial while two absconding accused were marked as proclaimed offenders. The trial court convicted seven out of those eleven accused and acquitted four accused. In the appeals by the convicted accused, the High Court acquitted three more accused, confirming the conviction and sentence of the present appellants. Since the acquittal of others has attained finality, the facts narrated hereafter are confined to the appellants herein.

2. One Jaswinder Kaur @ Jassi, normally residing with her parents in Canada, married PW-15 Sukhwinder Singh resident of village Kaoka Khosa, District Sangroor, Punjab on 15.04