Dr. Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, J.

1. This Appeal is directed against the Judgment in Sessions Case No. 23 of 2006 delivered by the Additional Sessions Judge, Sindhudurg at Oros, thereby convicting Appellant for the offences punishable under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC and sentencing him to suffer life imprisonment for the offence punishable under Section 302 of the IPC, with no separate sentence for the offence punishable under Section 201 of the IPC.

2. Facts, as are necessary, for deciding this Appeal may be stated thus:-

The marriage of Manisha, named Parvati after the marriage, was performed with the Appellant on 25th May, 2005. After the marriage, they co-habitated at Village Yerla and thereafter on 9th March, 2006, both of them went to Pune in search of the job. However, on 17th March, 2006, the Appellant's brother informed Manisha's parents that both the Appellant and Manisha were missing and not traceable. Hence, after taking their search, her father PW-7 Vishwanath lodged a missing complaint (Exhibit-29) on 18th March, 2006.

3. The enquiry of the said Missing Case No. 3 of 2006 was handed over to PW-15 ASI Dayasingh Thakur. In the course of enquiry, the Appellant