JUDGMENT:

The sole accused in Sessions Case No.175 of 2013 on the file of the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Hindupur, is the appellant herein. He was tried for an offence punishable under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code (‘I.P.C.’) for causing the death of one Lekkala Narappa (hereinafter referred to as ‘the deceased’) on 13.08.2012 at about 9:00 A.M. at Sathyamma Temple by beating him with a pestle on the abdomen. Vide judgment, dated 07.09.2015, the learned Sessions Judge convicted the accused for the offence punishable under Section 302 I.P.C. and sentenced him to suffer Rigorous Imprisonment for life and also to pay a fine of Rs.10,000/-, in default, to undergo Simple Imprisonment for a period of six months.

2. The facts, as revealed in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, are as under:

PWs.1, 6 and 7 are the sons and PW.5 is the wife of the deceased. PWs.2 and 3 were examined as eye witnesses to the incident. Prior to the date of incident, one Aswarthamma was indebted to a tune of Rs.4,000/- to PW.6, who is the son of deceased. In that regard, there were some disputes between them. Because of disputes, the accused is said to have bore grudge against the family of the d