( 1 ) THE appellant/sole accused in S. C. No. 20/96 on the file of Special Sessions judge for trial of cases under Scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of atrocities) Act-cum-Additional District and sessions Judge, Prakasam Division, aggrieved by the Judgment dt. 21-12-1998 had preferred the present Criminal Appeal.

( 2 ) THE appellant/accused was charged with Section 307 IPC and also under section 3 of Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) act, 1989. The same was numbered as P. R. C. No. 26/94 on the file of Judicial Magistrate of first Class, Ongole and the same was committed to the Court of Session. The case of the prosecution is that one Kokila venkayamma of Chimakurthy who was a harijan, lost her husband and was living with her parents and accused developed illicit intimacy with her and was visiting the house. Her mother Mannem Ankamma objected to it and asked the accused not to visit their house and Venkayamma to severe her connections with him since there was unmarried daughter. In spite of that the accused insisted Kokila Venkayamma to continue illicit intimacy and was harassing her and that he threatened her mother