These appeals arise out of two Sessions Cases disposed of by the Additional Assistant Sessions Judge, Kasargod. The Assistant Sessions Judge acquitted the respondents, each of whom was the accused parson in each of the Sessions Cages. The charge against them was that they committed rape on P.W. 1 (Narayani) aged fourteen on 25th June 1966 at about 5.30 p.m. one after the other at the house of the respondent in the second of these appeals (Kunhikaanan alias Kannau Nair). The case was that P.W. 1, a dhobi girl, took washed clothes to the house of Kannan Nair, while the respondent in the first of these appeals (Govindan alias Govindan Hair) was also present; that they took the girl forcibly inside the house of Kannan Nair and laid her on a gunny spread on the ground; and that they committed rape on her one after the other. P.W. 1 returned home weeping; but did not disclose the incident to her mother, P.W. 2. She became unwell; and her mother suspecting something wrong with the daughter, persistently questioned her. The girl ultimately disclosed the incident to her mother on 27th June; and the mother took the girl to the police station and the latter gave a complaint to the