JUDGMENT :

RANJAN GOGOI,J.

1. The accused appellant has been convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as “IPC”) and sentenced to death. He has additionally been convicted under Section 376 IPC and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life. Besides, he has been found guilty of the offences punishable under Section 394 read with Section 397 IPC as well as under Section 447 of the IPC for which he has been separately sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for seven years and three months respectively. The conviction of the accused appellant and the sentences imposed have been confirmed in appeal by the High Court. Aggrieved, the present appeals have been filed.

2. The case of the prosecution in short is that the deceased/victim girl, aged about 23 years, was working in Ernakulam and was engaged to one Anoop (P.W.76), who also happened to be employed in Ernakulam. Their betrothal ceremony was to be in the house of the deceased at Shornur on 2nd February, 2011. P.W.76 along with his family members were scheduled to visit the house of the deceased on that day. Accordingly, on 1st February, 2011 the deceased boarded the Ernakulam-Shorn