JUDGMENT :

C.Praveen Kumar, J.

Sole accused in Sessions Case No.210 of 2012 on the file of the learned VII Additional District and Sessions Judge, Gudur, S.P.S.R. Nellore District is the appellant herein. He was tried for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 302 and 201 I.P.C.

2. Vide judgment, dated 12.05.2016, the learned Sessions Judge convicted the accused for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 302 and 201 I.P.C., and accordingly, sentenced him to suffer rigorous imprisonment for life and to pay fine of Rs.1,000/-, in default of payment of fine, to suffer simple imprisonment for a period of six months for the offence punishable under Section 302 I.P.C.; to suffer rigorous imprisonment for a period of three years and to pay fine of Rs.500/-, in default of payment of fine, to suffer simple imprisonment for a period of three months for the offence punishable under Section 201 I.P.C.; and to suffer rigorous imprisonment for a period of three years and to pay fine of Rs.500/-, in default of payment of fine, to suffer simple imprisonment for a period of three months for the offence punishable under Section 498-A I.P.C. The substantive sentences were directed to run concurrently.

3. The graveman of the charge against the accused is that in the early hours of 15.01.2012, the accused caused the death of one Kottu Madhumanjari (hereinafter, referred to as “deceased No.1”) by throttling her to death and Kottu Isha Madhumani (hereinafter, referred to as “deceased No.2”), who is his daughter, by hitting her face against the cot and subsequently, setting fire to their bodies.

4. The facts in issue are as under:-

Deceased No.1 is the wife of the accused. Deceased No.2 is the daughter of accused and deceased No.1. P.W.1 is the mother of deceased No.1 and P.W.2 is the brother of deceased No.1. P.W.5 is a co-employee of the accused, who was working in Loyal Textiles Factory situated at Menakuru Village. P.Ws.3, 4 and D.W.1 were living adjacent to the house of the accused. D.W.2 is the mother of the accused and living along with the accused and deceased Nos.1 and 2. The accused was initially working in a sugar factory at Naidupet and now and then, used to visit the shop of P.W.1, who was eking out her livelihood by selling tea. The accused developed acquaintance with deceased No.1 and both of them got married in the year 2008. They were blessed with a daughter - deceased No.2, who was aged about 3 years at the time of death.

It is the case of the prosecution that the accused developed illicit intimacy with P.W.5, who was a co-worker in Loyal Textiles Factory. Deceased No.1 is said to have seen some messages sent by P.W.5 and as such, suspected illegal intimacy between the accused and P.W.5. It is the case of the prosecution that after marriage, deceased No.1 completed her Engineering Course and thereafter, started working as a Lecturer in Gokula Krishna Engineering College, Sullurpet. Ten days prior to the incident, she joined M.Tech at N.B.K.R. Engineering College at Vidya Nagar. On 14.01.2012, in the evening, deceased No.1 left to Menakuru Village along with deceased No.2. On the next day morning i.e., on 15.01.2012, at about 7.00 a.m., P.W.1 received a phone call from Menakuru Village stating that her daughter and grand daughter received injuries and fallen on the ground. She informed P.W.2 and thereafter, both of them proceeded to the house of accused where they found the dead bodies of deceased Nos.1 and 2, with burn injuries lying, in the kitchen room. Some people gathered there informed that deceased Nos.1 and 2 died due to leakage of gas while some others informed that the accused had killed both the deceased while others informed that deceased No.1 committed suicide. Suspecting some foul play by the accused, P.W.1 went to Naidupet Police Station and lodged a report with the Sub Inspector of Police/P.W.14. Ex.P-1 is the report given by P.W.1 to P.W.14. On the basis of Ex.P-1, a case in Crime No.10 of 2012 was registered