Koshi, J.

1. These are two applications for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court against the judgment of this court in Criminal Appeals 192 and 193 of 1124. The petitioner in Crl. M.P. 67 was the appellant in Criminal Appeal No. 192 and the petitioner in Crl. M.P. 68, the appellant in Criminal Appeal 193. They were accused 1 and 2 respectively in Sessions Case No. 20 of 1124 on the file of the Alleppey Sessions Court. The main charge against them was one of murder. The case was that on the night of 18.12.1122 they strangled one Damodaran to death while asleep by tying a rope round his neck and tightening the noose by pulling the two ends of the rope in opposite directions. His dead body was afterwards secretly disposed of by depositing the same in the depths of the Vembanad lake, close to the 2nd accused's residence. At the conclusion of the trial the learned Sessions Judge found both the accused guilty of the said offence and sentenced each of them to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life. According to the law in Travancore a sentence of imprisonment for life passed by a Sessions Judge has to be submitted for confirmation by the High Court. The reference for confirmati