SHAMSHER BAHADUR, J.

1. Atma Ram charged for his wifes murder at about 1-0 p.m. on 6th May 1964, in village Dhaula was found guilty of this offence by the Sessions Judge, Barnala, and has been sentenced to undergo a term of life imprisonment under S. 302, Indian Penal Code. This appeal of Atma Ram is directed both against his conviction and sentence.

2. The deceased Parsini was a middle-aged woman like the appellant and they had been married for some years. The couple had grown-up children, and it appears that their relations have not been quite friendly. She did not possess a very good temper and had quite a pungent tongue. Somewhere in 1958, she was given a beating by her husband and her brother Lal Chand, P. W. 10 got her medically examined on 10-5-1958 by one Dr. Sardul Singh, P. W. 2. This matter was brought before the Panchayat and perhaps on their intervention no criminal case was brought against her husband. The appellant and his wife have also been in the habit of accusing each other of leading immoral lives.

3. On the 6th May 1964, at about 1.0 p.m. the appellant called his wife in the sabat for massaging his belly. Their young son Giana, aged 7/8 years, was also