JUDGMENT :

V. Bharathidasan, J.

The appellant, a sole accused, in Special S.C.No.51 of 2017, on the file of the learned III Additional District and Sessions Judge (PCR), Madurai, stood charged and convicted for the offence under Section 302 I.P.C r/w 3(2)V) of SC/ST Act and Section 506(ii) I.P.C., ; for the offence under Section 302 I.P.C r/w 3(2)(V) of SC/ST Act, appellant sentenced to undergo Life Imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs.5,000/-, in default to undergo one year Rigorous Imprisonment; for the offence under Section 506(ii) I.P.C., sentenced to undergo seven years Rigorous Imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs.1,000/-, in default to undergo six months Simple Imprisonment. Both the sentences are ordered to be run concurrently. Challenging the aforesaid conviction and sentence, the appellant is before this Court with this Criminal Appeal.

2. The case of the prosecution in brief as follows:

The deceased one Nagajothi, is the wife of P.W.1 and sister of P.W.2. She was working as a Cashier in a Petrol Filling Station at Palamedu, Madurai. The deceased belongs to Hindu Scheduled Caste, Pallar, Community and the accused belongs to Backward Class, Saadhu Chettiyar Community. In the y