By Court The sole appellant namely Arun Mahatha has been convicted for committing offence under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code by holding him guilty for committing the murder of his three minor children and thereby he has been sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life by the 1st Additional Sessions Judge, Bokaro at Chas by the impugned judgment dated 16th January 2001 in Sessions Trial No. 122 of 1997.

2. The appellant was charged for the offence under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for committing the murder of his two minor sons namely Sudarshan Mahtha and Jaidev Mahtha and a minor daughter Meena Kumari while they were sleeping by strangulating them to death in the night of 8/9-10-1996.

3. In his fardbeyan, Chandrashekhar Mahtha (P.W.2 ) alleged that he as well as two other brothers were living separately but in a common courtyard. About a month ago the wife of Arun Mahatha expired and hence in order to attend the funeral and shradh ceremony, the married daughter of Arun Mahatha namely Rekha Devi had come to her parents’ house on 8.10.1996 when the informant went to bed after taking his dinner. Similarly Arun Mahatha and his children also went to bed aft