Anant Singh, J.

1. By his order dated the 7th June, 1961, the Second Additional Judicial Commissioner of Ranchi has convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code the appellant for the murder of one unmarried girl named Badam Bhogtain, the sister of Birsa Pradhan (P. W-5) of village Hessel, Police station Khunti in the district of Ranchi. The appellant is also alleged to be of the same place, his house being 20 to 25 steps away from that of Birsa. The appellant has filed this appeal from jail.

2. The appellant had worked as Dhanaar (domestic servant) for one year till Majh of 1960 and during that period, he lived in the house of Birsa, where his sister Badan Bhogtain also lived. She was murdered sometime during night intervening the 15th April and 16th April 1960, and the crime was brought to light by the appellant himself at about 6.15 A. M. on the 16th of April 1960 when he appeared in person at the Khunti Police Station before the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Shri Devi Charan Sinha (P. W. 11), who was when the officer-in-charge, being on training. The appellant produced a balua (txt. 1) and gave his statement (Ext. 1/2) which