JUDGMENT :

M. SATHYANARAYANAN, J.

1. The Reference in R.T. No. 3 of 2017 is made by the Court of Principal District and Sessions Judge, Tiruppur under Section 366 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (in short Cr.P.C.) seeking confirmation of capital punishment imposed upon Al-Chinnasamy, A4- Jagatheesan, A5-Manikandan, A6-Selvakumar, A7-Kalaithamilvaanan and A8-Mathan @ Michael, vide judgment dated 12.12.2017 made in Spl. S.C. No. 19/2016 (P.R.C. No. 7/2016 on the file of the Judicial Magistrate No. 1, Udumalpet in respect of Crime No. 194 of 2016 on the file of Udumalpet Police Station). The Trial Court acquitted A2-Annalakshmi, A3-Pandithurai and A10-Prasanna @ Prasannakumar of the charges framed against them and challenging the impugned judgment of acquittal, the State has preferred Crl. Appeal No. 183 of 2018. Aggrieved by the conviction and sentence awarded by the Trial Court, A1 has filed Crl. Appeal No. 162 of 2018, A4 to A8 have filed Crl. Appeal No. 163 of 2018, A9 has filed Crl. Appeal No. 164 of 2018 and A11 has filed Crl. Appeal No. 165 of 2018.

2. The Trial Court, vide impug