JUDGMENT :

Raja Vijayaraghavan, J.

These appeals have been preferred by the appellants, who are the accused in S.C.No. 648 of 2012 on the file of the Additional Sessions Court-II, Alappuzha. They have been found guilty by the learned Sessions Judge for the offence under Sections 302 r/w. Section 34 of the INDIAN PENAL CODE , Section 120B of the IPC, and Section 201 r/w. Section 34 of the INDIAN PENAL CODE and have been sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs.25,000/- each and in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 6 months each under Section 302 r/w. Section 34 of the IPC and Section 120B of the IPC. They have also been sentenced to imprisonment for a period of six years each and to pay a fine of Rs.10,000/- each and in default to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 3 months each for the offence under Section 201 r/w. Section 34 of the IPC.

2. Chronology of the events:

a) A young man by name Sreekanth @ Akku was found lying in a prone position on the sleepers parallel to the railway line at a place on the northern side of Pathiyoorkkala by Sasimohanan Pillai (PW1) at 7.30 a.m. on 8.6.2007. A white underwear and a red T-shirt were found on the body. The