ORDER :

1. Leave granted.

2. The challenge in these appeals is against the judgment and order dated 28th January, 2014 passed by the High Court of Delhi at New Delhi passed in Criminal Appeal No. 458 of 1998 whereby the order of conviction of the accused appellants under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as IPC) made by the learned trial Court has been upheld and they have been sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life with fine of Rs. 2,000/-. The accused appellants have also been convicted for commission of offences punishable under Section 324/34 and 323/34 IPC and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for six months and one month respectively.

3. The incident took place on 14th February, 1993. The trial lasted five years and the appeal against the order of conviction was filed sometime in the year 1998. The appeal dragged on for 16 years and was concluded by the impugned order on 28th January, 2014. In the meantime, for most of the period, the accused had remained on bail. The above facts have been noticed by the Court only for the purpose of perceiving how the system has moved and the need to devise ways and means of ex