KRISHNAN UNNI, J.

Appellant is the accused in S.C. No.6 of 1992 before Sessions Court, Wayanad. He was charged for the offences punishable under Sections 376 and 506 (1) IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (for short "the Act"). The Court below found him guilty, convicted him and sentenced him to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 10 years under Section 376 IPC and rigorous imprisonment for 6 months under Sec. 506 IPC and imprisonment for life under Section 3(2)(v) of the Act.

2. Crl.A. No. 103 of 1993 is filed by the appellant-accused through the Superintendent of Central Prison challenging the conviction and sentence entered against him. Crl.A. No. 367 of 1993 is also filed by him through counsel. Crl.R.C. No. 24 of 1993 is registered as per the direction of a learned Judge of this Court at the time of calendar revision. All the three cases were heard jointly and are being disposed of by this common judgment.

3. The prosecution case is that the accused who was a Security Guard of Priyadarshini Estate, Mananthavady and who was residing in one of the quarters there, raped PW.1, minor girl, on 2-3-1991