JUDGMENT

Thomas, J.—An accused in a murder case barged into a courtroom on his own during the morning hours, exhibiting a knife and wanting the Magistrate to record his confession. The Magistrate obliged him to do so and after administering oath to him the Magistrate recorded the confession and got it signed by the confessor. A Sessions Judge and Division Bench of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana accepted the said confession as ­legally admissible, found it to be genuine and voluntary and acted upon it, among other things, and convicted the confessor of a murder-charge and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He is Ranbir Singh – the first accused – who filed this appeal by special leave.

2. There were three other accused arraigned along with Ranbir Singh for the offence of murder of the same deceased with the aid of Section 34 of IPC. The Sessions Court found them not guilty and acquitted. But the Division Bench of the High Court, on appeal filed by the State, reversed the acquittal and convicted them also under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC and sentenced them to imprisonment for life. They have filed this appeal as of right under Section 379 of the Code of Crimina