JUDGMENT

M. Venkateswara Reddy, J.—The fifteen appellants herein are A-1 to A-15 in Special Sessions Case No.38 of 2002, on the file of the learned I-Additional Sessions Judge, Kadapa. They wee all convicted for the offence under Section 3(1)(xiv) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (for brevity ‘the Act’) and sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for a period of two years each and also pay a fine of Rs. 1,500 each, in default to suffer simple imprisonment for a further period of three months. They are questioning the said conviction and sentence in this appeal.

2. The accused and the de facto complainant as well are residents of Thudumaladinne of Khajipet mandal in Kadapa District. There is one Shiva temple constructed by one Subbi Reddy and the temple is being run by him. The accused belong to Congress Party while the de facto complainant-P.W.1 Chatla Kondaiah and others belong to Telugu Desam Party. P.W.1 contested for the post of Sarpanch against one Bushanam two months prior to the date of alleged commission of offence in this case, which is 24.11.2001. P.W.1 lost the election. The successful candidate Bushanam belongs to Mala