The appellant, Ramachandran, has been convicted of the murder of a woman named Pappal, and also of causing disappearance of the evidence of offence (sections 302, Indian Penal Code and 201, Indian Penal Code), and sentenced to death for the offence of murder. The learned Sessions Judge of Tanjore, who tried the case, has not imposed a separate sentence under section 201, Indian Penal Code, as he considered that, that was not required or desirable, following the Bench decision of this Court in Emperor v. Rama Goundan1.

The appellant and Pappal (deceased) were related, being cousins, and the appellant is a young man of about 22, while the woman definitely older. The two were in illicit intimacy, which was also a prohibited relationship, amounting to incest. Pappal was married and had two children, but she had left her husband and was living with her mother (P.W. 1) in a house the rear portion of which was occupied by the accused. We have very considerable evidence regarding the illicit intimacy, consisting of the testimonies of P.Ws. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8. There is also evidence that the deceased was of loose conduct with others as well, and this is spoken to by