Under the judgment, dated 13.12.1993, passed, in Sessions Trial No. 439 of 1991/81 of 1992, by learned 11th Additional Sessions Judge, Gaya, the appellant, Arjun Paswan, stands convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. Following his conviction, the accused-appellant has been sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs.1,000/- and, in default of payment of fine, undergo rigorous imprisonment for six months.

2. The case of the prosecution, as unfolded at the trial, may, in brief, be set out as under:

(i) On 23.05.1990, at about 10:00 A.M., having seen off the sister of her husband, when the informant, Basanti Devi (P.W. 2), returned home, accompanied by her husband, Balendra Singh (since deceased), and started cooking, her husband, Balendra Singh, sat down at the varandah of the house awaiting meals. While the informant was cooking, accused Arjun Paswan came to her house and called her husband from outside the house. Though the informant asked her husband to leave the house after taking his meal, accused Arjun Paswan told them that he had some urgent work and would send his uncle (i.e., the husband of the informant) soon. The informant, too,