1. This Criminal Appeal has been preferred against the judgment of conviction dated 13.02.2014 passed in S.C.No.116 of 2012 by the learned Sessions Judge, Mahalir Neethimandram (Fast Track Mahila Court), Dharmapuri.

2. On Sunday, 11.07.2010, around 9.00 p.m., Vijayalakshmi was found dead in her house and on the written complaint [Ex.P.1] lodged by her brother Ganesan [P.W.1], Jaganathan [P.W.11], Special Sub-Inspector of Police, registered a case in Cr.No.1095 of 2010 on 11.07.2010 at 23.00 hrs under Section 302 IPC against the appellant and prepared the printed FIR [Ex.P.7]. The complaint [Ex.P.1] and the printed FIR [Ex.P.7] reached the jurisdictional Magistrate at 12.30 midnight on the same day, as could be seen from the endorsement thereon. Investigation of the case was taken over by Jaganathan [P.W.12] (incidentally P.W.11 and P.W.12 bear the same name) and went to the place of occurrence at 1.30 a.m. on 12.07.2010 and prepared the Observation Mahazar [Ex.P.2] in the presence of two witnesses, viz., S.Perumal [P.W.4] and one Manickam [Not Examined]. He also prepar