A. M. Badar, J.—By this appeal, the appellant/convicted accused is challenging the Judgment and Order dated 25.07.2014 and 01.08.2014 passed by the learned Adhoc Additional Sessions Judge-IV, Kishanganj, in Sessions Case No.565 of 2013, thereby convicting him of the offence punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and sentencing him to suffer imprisonment of life apart from directing him to pay fine of Rs.10,000/- and in default, to undergo simple imprisonment for six months. For the sake of convenience, the appellant shall be referred to as “an accused”.

2. The facts, in brief, leading to the prosecution of the accused projected from the police report can be summarized thus:—

(a) Rukmani Devi (since deceased) was wife of accused Munna Harijan. She married the accused about four months prior to her homicidal death and that marriage was a love marriage.

(b) Deceased Rukmani Devi lost her mother at the age of about two years. Her father, thereafter, neglected to maintain her and entrusted her to her maternal uncle P.W.9 Ram Lal Harijan-the first informant. Rukmani Devi was then maintained by her maternal uncle/P.W.9 Ram Lal Harijan and her maternal aunt P.W.8 Rina Devi, wif