JUDGMENT :

N.V. Ramana, J.

1. These appeals arise out of the common judgment and order, dated 21st December, 2013, passed by the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Bench at Nagpur, in Criminal Appeal No. 290 of 1998 whereby the High Court reversed the order of acquittal passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Amravati in Sessions Trial No. 40 of 1995 and convicted all the accused/appellants herein except accused no. 6 (since dead) for the offence punishable under Sections 147, 148, 452 read with Section 149, Section 302 read with Section 149 and Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

2. The prosecution story in short is that, on 19th June, 1995 at about 7 pm, in the village Jalka Shahapur an altercation had taken place between two villagers, namely Shamrao (deceased) and Balya (Accused No. 4) on the road near a grocery shop over repayment of Rs.50/. It was alleged that Shamrao (deceased) had slapped Balya (Accused No. 4) during the scuffle. After sometime, all the sixteen accused persons armed with weapons, while entering the house of Shamrao hurling abuses, dragged him out