1. The appellant stands convicted by the learned Sessions Judge of Tellichery for the offence of murder for having caused the death of his two children aged 4 and one and half years respectively.

2. The accused had married pw.1 Narayani about six years ago and they were living together in the accused's house. Two children were born to them. After some time the accused started ill-treating his wife. He used to come drunk and beat her. Matters reached a crisis when one day he kicked her out of the house. pw.1 started to go away to her house with the children, but at the intervention of some of the neighbours she remained in the house for the night. Next day she decided to leave and informed the accused about it, but he made no reply. So she left with her children to her own house in Ezhom amsom. Thereafter she was permanently residing there. After a few days the accused came over there and told his mother-in-law Pw. 3 that he had come to take his wife and children, but Pw. 3 informed him that pw.1 was unwilling to go back with him. Relationship between the husband and wife were thus strained.

3. Even after this the accused used to come, of and on to see the children. He use