PRADEEP NANDRAJOG, J.

(1) Vide impugned judgment and order dated 22.03.2001, the appellants, Baijnath alias Baiju, Ramesh alias Ramesh alias Vinod and Rajinder alias Lala have been convicted for the offence of having murdered Roshan Lal alias Chian (hereinafter referred to as the "Deceased"), for which offence they have been sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs. 2000/- each; in default to undergo simple imprisonment for two months.

(2) In a nutshell, case of the prosecution was that in the night of 24.10.1997 the deceased along with one Hemraj PW-1 and Kamal PW-2, were going to a market for purchasing pigs. On their way to the market, the aforesaid persons were met by the appellants who were gambling at that time; that the deceased also joined in the gambling while Hemraj and Kamal stood outside the slum- dwelling where the deceased and the appellants were gambling. After having won the entire stake money, the deceased was leaving the slum-dwelling in question when the appellants asked him to lend some money to them. On refusal by the deceased to do so, the appellants indiscriminately stabbed him and fled from the place of occurrence after causin