A. M. Badar, J.—All these appeals are of the year 2017 but they are specially assigned to this Court because of these happenings. On 15.02.2023, the Division Bench headed by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arvind Srivastava had passed an order in one of these appeals that they are required to be heard on priority basis. Accordingly, the Criminal Appeal (DB) No. 1319 of 2017 was placed before the Hon’ble Acting Chief Justice on 17.03.2023 for assignment of the Bench. Under orders of the Hon’ble Acting Chief Justice, these appeals were placed before the Bench presided by the Hon’ble Acting Chief Justice. Thereafter, as per order dated 07.04.2023 passed by the Bench presided by the Hon’ble Acting Chief Justice hearing of these appeals was fixed at 2.15 P.M. on 08th May, 2023. However, on 08th May, 2023, the Division Bench headed by the Hon’ble Acting Chief Justice had passed an order - ‘not to list these appeals before the Division Bench of which Hon’ble Mr. Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh is a member’. On recusal by the Hon’ble Acting Chief Justice, the Registry of this Court placed submission before Hon’ble the Chief Justice for modalities to be followed in the event of recusal and that is how under order dated 20.06.2023 of the Hon’ble Chief Justice, these connected appeals arising out of the same Judgment and order were placed before this Court for final hearing.

2. Appellant/convicted accused no.1 Rakesh Ranjan Yadav alias Rocky, appellant/convicted accused no.3 Teni Yadav alias Rajiv Kumar and appellant/convicted accused no.4 Rajesh Kumar son of Ram Lakhan Prasad, by these appeals, are challenging the Judgment and Order dated 31.08.2017 and 06.09.2017 passed in the Sessions Trial No. 292/2016(SJ) by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-I, Gaya, thereby convicting them of offences punishable under Section 302 read with 34, 323 read with 34 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code as well as under Sections 27 and 30 of the Arms Act. In addition, appellant/ convicted accused no.4 Rajesh Kumar is also convicted of the offence punishable under Section 217 of the Indian Penal Code. Appellant/convicted accused no.1 Rakesh Ranjan Yadav alias Rocky is sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life apart from imposition of fine of Rs.1,00,000/- for the offence punishable under Section 302 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Other appellants, on this count, are sentenced to suffer imprisonment for life apart from imposition of fine of Rs.50,000/- on each of them. In default of payment of fine, appellant Rakesh Ranjan Yadav @ Rockey is directed to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years. Rest of the appellants are directed to undergo similar sentence but for one year. They all are sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year apart from a direction to pay fine of Rs.5000/- by each of them for the offence punishable under Section 323 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code and in default of payment of fine, to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month. Similarly, the appellants are directed to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year apart from a direction to pay fine of Rs.5000/- by each of them for the offence punishable under Section 427 of the Indian Penal Code and in default of payment of fine, they are directed to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month by each of them. For the offence punishable under Section 27 of the Arms Act, they all are directed to undergo rigorous imprisonment for five years apart from direction to pay fine of Rs.5000/- by each of them and in default of payment of fine, they are directed to undergo imprisonment for two months. For the offence punishable under Section 30 of the Arms Act, the appellants/convicted are directed to undergo rigorous imprisonment for six months apart from a direction to pay fine of Rs.5000/- and in default of payment of fine, to undergo further rigorous imprisonment for one month. For the offence punishable under Section 217 of the Indian Penal Code, the appellant/convicted accused