JUDGMENT :

Pinaki Chandra Ghose, J.

1. Brief facts giving rise to the initiation of criminal proceedings in these cases are as follows:-

A gruesome incident occurred in Taluk Ramanathapuram, District Tamil Nadu in which the appellants, the deceased and few witnesses were related to each other. As per prosecution case, on 10.02.1994, accused persons assembled unlawfully with deadly weapons and with the common intention to commit murder, they chased the family members of deceased Rajendran when they got down from the bus in the village near Karisalkulam Branch Road. They were coming back to their village after attending the cremation of Rajendran, who died in another case on 09.02.1994, and the appellants herein and few others were accused in that case. The accused persons, in a gruesome attack on the family members, murdered 8 persons, including one who succumbed to the injuries later in the Hospital. PW-1 immediately after the occurrence proceeded to Kovilankulam Police Station and lodged the complaint, Ex.P1. PW-22 who was the Sub-Inspector of Police at Kovilankulam Police Stat