JUDGMENT :

Sanjay K. Agrawal, J.

1. Invoking the appellate jurisdiction of this Court under Section 374(2) of the CrPC, the sole appellant herein has preferred this appeal calling in question legality, validity and correctness of the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 12-7-2018 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Link Court, Kurud, District Dhamtari, in Sessions Trial No.61/2017, by which the sole appellant herein has been convicted for murder of his wife under Sections 302 & 201 of the IPC and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life & pay fine of Rs. 100/-, in default, to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month and rigorous imprisonment for three years & pay fine of Rs. 100/-, in default, to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month, respectively.

2. Case of the prosecution, in short, is that on 22-8-2017 at 11:00 a.m., at Village Tarragondi, Police Station Bhakhara, District Dhamtari, the appellant strangulated his wife Smt. Tarabai Nishad with the help of a rope and in order to screen himself from the offence, hanged the dead body and thereby committed the offence. Thereafter, the appellant himself reported the matter to the police purs