JUDGMENT :

Sudhanshu Dhulia, J.

The appellants before us have challenged the judgment and order dated 31.8.2010 passed by the High Court of Karnataka in a Criminal Appeal which has upheld the order of conviction and sentence passed by the Trial Court against the appellants which convicted the appellants under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC, and has sentenced them for life imprisonment. We had heard Shri Lakshmeesh S. Kamath, learned counsel for the appellant and Shri Nikhil Goel, learned Additional Advocate General for the State at length on 24.08.2022 and granted leave in the case, which was then reserved for judgment.

2. An FIR was lodged on 12.10.2000 at 1:15 PM mid night, which was the intervening night between 11th October and 12th October, 2000 by the son-in-law of the deceased, S. Ramakrishnan. As per the FIR, his father-in-law, who was seventy-two years of age, and was living alone in house No.19/1 Haudin Road, Ulsoor, was murdered by some unknown persons. The deceased last spoke to his daughter (wife of the informant), at about 6:30 PM that evening. Informant then says that his wife and him left their house in the evening that day (11.10.2000) to attend a dinner engagem