The central legal point established in the judgment is the need for careful scrutiny of witness testimony, the significance of corroborative evidence, and the admissibility of confession statements in criminal cases.

R. BANUMATHI, J.

This appeal arises out of the judgment in S.C. No. 259 of 2005 on the file of Addl. Sessions Judge, Fast Track Court No. II, Kancheepuram, convicting the appellant/Second accused under Section 302 IPC and sentencing him to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay fine of Rs. 1,000/-.

2. Case of the prosecution in nutshell is as follows: A1 to A3 and the deceased were associates. In the village, one Elumalai and Kumutha fell in love with each other. Objections were raised by the boy’s side. A1 was supporting the boy side, while the deceased was supporting the girl side. Thus, A1 and the deceased were in inimical terms. On the date of occurrence i.e., on 12. 2001, when P.W.1 was sitting and chatting with one Ramalingam, along with the deceased, four persons came in TVS Suzuki motorbike and were proceeding towards Railway Station Road and they stopped the vehicle under a Tamarind Tree and talked for some time and they returned on the same way and went behind the School. The deceased disassociated with the accused and went near a bush. Thereafter, on hearing the distress cry, P.W.1 rushed over there and saw the deceased being attacked by all the three accused indiscriminately. P.W.1 raised alarm and on hearing the alarm raised by P.W.1, neighbours gathered. On seeing the occurrence, P.W.1 threw stones on the accused. All the three accused fled away from the place of occurrence. P.W.1 went nearby the deceased and found the deceased Mari dead. He proceeded to the respondent-Police Station, where the Head Constable by name Pushparaj was on duty. He gave Exhibit P1 report, on the strength of which, a case came to be registered in Crime No. 338 of 2001 at about 12.15 a.m. The printed F.I.R. Exhibit P-27 along with the complaint Exhibit P-1 were sent to Court.

3. P.W.16 Inspector of Police, on receipt of the copy of the F.I.R., took up investigation, prepared observation mahazar Exhibit P-5 and Exhibit P-28 rough sketch. The Investigating Officer conducted inquest over the dead body of the deceased in the presence of witnesses and panchayatars and prepared Inquest Report Exhibit P-29. The dead body was sent for the purpose of autopsy. P.W.3, the doctor attached to the Government Hospital, Kancheepuram, conducted autopsy and has given his opinion in Exhibit P-11 post mortem certificate that the deceased Mari died of shock and haemorrhage due to the grievous injuries sustained around the head.

4. Pending investigation, the investigating officer came to know that the second accused and the third accused have surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate, Vellore. He applied for police custody and the same was ordered. When they were interrogated, both the accused Nos. 2 and 3 gave confession statement and the same was recorded. The admissible part of the statement of A2 was marked as Exhibit P-8 and the admissible part of the statement of A3 was marked as Exhibit P-6. Consequent upon the same, M.O.1 series-Knives were recovered under Exhibits P-7 and P-9-Mahazar. The accused were sent for judicial remand.

5. The first accused was also taken to police custody and when he was interrogated, he voluntarily gave confession statement and the same was recorded. The weapon was recovered from him under a cover of mahazar. Thereafter, accused was sent to Judicial remand. All the material objects recovered from the place of occurrence and the dead body were subjected to chemical analysis by the Forensic department in Exhibit P-13 is the serologist’s report and Exhibit P-31 is the chemical report. Since P.W. 16 went on transfer, further investigation was done by P.W.17. On completion of the investigation, the investigating officer P.W.17 filed the final report against accused No. 1 to 13.

6. The case was committed to Court of Sessions and pending trial, the first accused died. The trial continued as against the appellant/second accused and the third accused.

7. To substantiate the charges against the accused, in the Trial Court,