JUDGMENT :

This appeal is preferred by the appellant challenging the judgment of conviction dated 07.12.2016 and the order of sentence dated 15.12.2016 passed by the II Additional District & Sessions Judge, Kodagu Madikeri sitting at Virajpet (hereinafter referred to as ‘the trial

court’) in S.C.No.28/2015 wherein the appellant/accused has been found guilty and convicted for the offence punishable under Section 302 of IPC and sentenced to undergo rigorous life imprisonment and payment of fine of Rs.30,000/and in default, the appellant shall undergo simple imprisonment for a period of two years for the offence punishable under Section 302 of IPC.

2. We have heard the arguments of learned counsel for the appellant and the learned High Court Government Pleader for the respondent State.

3. The rankings of the parties before the trial court are retained for the sake of convenience.

4. Before adverting to the arguments addressed by the learned counsel for the appellant and the learned HCGP, it is worth to mention the factual matrix of the case of the prosecution.

5. The case of the prosecution in a nut shell is that the appellant/accused and his wife Chandri @ Chandrika were residing in t