1. The sole accused in S.C. No.40 of 2006 on the file of the Special Judge for the trial of Cases under S.Cs. and S.Ts. (POA) Act, West Godavari at Eluru, is the appellant. He was tried for the offences under Sections 302 IPC, and Sections 3(2)(v) and 3(1)(xii) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, (for short ‘the Act’), for causing death of Parla Gangaratnam, on the early hours of 23.07.2005. The trial Court acquitted the accused of the offence under the provisions of the Act and was convicted him for the offence under Section 302 IPC, and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs.1,000/- and in default to undergo simple imprisonment for six months.

2. The case presented by the prosecution, before the trial Court was as under:

The deceased Gangaratnam was married to one Mr. Parla Raju and that the couple were blessed with two female children, who died at the infance. Two years prior to the date of incident, Gangaratnam is said to have been separated from her husband Raju and started living with her mother PW-1 and sister PW-2 at Pasalapudi Village of West Godavari District. She said to have developed intim