The appellants are a brother and a sister who were charged respectively with the murder and abetment of murder of one Guntaka Somireddi in the village of Nunna on 13th May, 1946. They were both sentenced to death.

[His Lordship after discussing the facts and evidence proceeded to consider the objection as to the method of investigation.]

Mr. Jayarama Aiyar, however, has raised a point to which some attention must be given. He says that the method of investigation employed by the police was such as to deprive the accused and his advisers of the assistance or opportunity which the Criminal Procedure Code provides for scrutinising the evidence called for the prosecution. He based his contention in the main on the evidence of P.W. 14, the Circle Inspector, and on that of P.W.13 the Sub-Inspector, to a smaller extent. P.W.13 in cross-examination said that he collected the witnesses and kept them ready for investigation by his superior officer. He said that he did not examine any witness and that that was done by the Circle Inspector. The witnesses, he said, were examined separately and they were asked to state what they knew. As they were being examined, the Circle In