A.K.Prasad, J.

1. The sole appellant has been convicted under Sec. 302 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to life imprisonment thereunder, on the charge of committing the murder of Chhotan Sad, by the Sessions Judge, Gumla, by the impugned judgment and order dated 8-5-1987 in S.T. No. 449/1982/T.R. No. 21/1987.

2. The prosecution case, in brief, as made out in the F.I.R. (Ext. 5) is as under; the appellant Laxmi Singh is the son-in-law of Baijnath Singh. He resides in his house at village Birinda, Bhandar Toli, within P.S. and District Gumla. The house of Baijnath Singh is in the neighbourhood of the houses of the informant Ram Sewak Sao as well as the deceased Chhotan Sao. On 16-8-1981, around 8 p.m., the appellant visited the house of the deceased and took him in his company to his own house. The informant, who was sitting at his Darwaja, saw Chhotan Sao, the deceased going in the company of the appellant towards the house of the appellant. Soon thereafter, the informant heard the cry of the deceased ARE MAR DIYA coming from the house of the appellant. Thereupon, the informant ran to the Courtyard of the appellant. He witnessed the appellant assaulting the deceased wi