1. This appeal and the connected appeal being Criminal Appeal No. 94 of 1998 are filed against the same judgment and order passed by the trial Court and, therefore, these two appeals are to be heard together.

2. Appellant No. 2, Maya Shankar Singh in this appeal stands convicted under S. 302 of the Penal Code. The rest of the three appellants, Daya Shankar Singh in this appeal and two other appellants in the connected appeal were convicted under Ss. 302/34 of the Penal Code. Both Maya Shankar Singh and Daya Shankar Singh were further convicted under S. 27 of the Arms Act. All the appellants are sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life for committing murder and the two appellants in this appeal are further sentenced to three years R.I. for the offence under the Arms Act.

3. The two appellants in the connected appeal being Cr. Appeal No. 94 of 1998 were granted bail by this Court. In this appeal, however, the prayer for bail on behalf of both the appellants was rejected, in the case of Maya Shankar Singh, his prayers for bail were rejected more than once.

4. When the appeals were called out for hearing Mr. Akhileshwar Pd. Singh, counsel appearing for the informant filed an