JUDGMENT

(Smt.) Ranjana Prakash Desai, J.

1. Leave granted.

2. These two appeals, by special leave, can be disposed of by a common judgment as they challenge the judgment and order dated 24.9.2008 delivered by the Madras High Court in Criminal R.C. Nos. 1439 and 1440 of 2005 filed by the respondent.

3. It is necessary to state the facts which led to these appeals. The respondent - Selvamuthukani @ Selvamuthu is the original complainant ( ‘the complainant’ for short). She filed a private complaint in the court of Judicial Magistrate No. 1, Coimbatore being CC No. 620 of 1992 against Kannan (original accused 1 - ‘A1’ for short), M. Rangan Chettiar (original accused 2 - ‘A2’ for short), Murugayee (original accused 3 - ‘A3’ for short), K. Palaniammal (original accused 4 - ‘A4’ for short), Ganesan (original accused 5 - ‘A5’ for short) and seven others. The complainant alleged that she was married to A1 on 16.6.1980. According to her, during the subsistence of her marriage with A1, A1 married A4 and thus committed an offence punishable under Section 494 of the Indian Penal Code (for short ‘the IPC’). The complainant further alleged that by actively assisting and participating in the said