JUDGMENT :

1. Counsel for the appellant is present. None has appeared for the respondent. The office has submitted a report that notice has been served on the sole respondent, yet no one has entered appearance on his behalf.

2. We have heard Mr. Mohit Siwach, learned counsel for the appellant.

3. This appeal assails the judgment and order of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana (for short the High Court) dated 01.05.2012 rendered in Criminal Appeal No. 372 of 2002, whereby the judgment and order of the trial Court convicting and sentencing the respondent (Kewal Krishan) under Section 302, IPC has been set aside and the appellant (respondent herein) has been acquitted of the charges for which he was tried.

4. The prosecution case rests on evidence in respect of following circumstances:

(a) The deceased was last seen alive in his own house in the company of the accused at about 7.00 p.m. on 10.12.1998 by PW-2.

(b) Dead body of the deceased with multiple injuries was found in his house by PW-6, nephew of the deceased, on 12.12.1998 at around 1.00 pm.

(c) Autopsy conducted on 12.12.1998, at about 4.15pm, reflected that death of the deceased could have occurred within two days, as a result of sh