Hon’ble Vijay Kumar Verma, J.—Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment and order dated 20.12.2000 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge Court No. 14, Moradabad, in S.T. No. 517 of 1998 (State v. Bhoora), whereby the accused-appellant Bhoora has been convicted and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs. 2000/- with default stipulation under Section 302, IPC and one year rigorous imprisonment under Section 4/25, Arms Act.

2. Briefly stated, the case of the prosecution as unfolded during trial is that dead bodies of a Muslim woman and a female child aged about 1 ½ year were found lying in the sugar-cane field of first informant Bhoorey s/o Faquer Mohammad, situated within the limits of village Jivai under the jurisdiction of P.S. Didauli, District J.P. Nagar. Written report Ext. Ka 1 was submitted at P.S. Didauli by the first informant on 31.1.1998. It was stated in that report by Bhoorey that when he went to his sugar-cane field on 31.1.1998 at about 2.00 p.m., he found that dead bodies of a Muslim woman and a female child aged about 1-1 ½ year were lying in his sugar-cane field situated on the side of chakroad going to Chaudarpur from his village. The woman was wearing burka and neck of both the deceased was cut. The people of nearby villages saw the dead bodies, but nobody could identify them. On the basis of the written report Ext. Ka 1, the then head moharrir Lovkesh Sharma prepared chik FIR Ext. Ka 6 and registered a case under Section 302/201 IPC against unknown person at Crime No. 47/98, entry of which was made in the GD vide Ext. Ka 7. After registration of the FIR, investigation was taken up in his hands by the then SHO Sri K.C. Pundhir P.W. 6. During the course of investigation, an application Ext. Ka 2 was handed over to the investigating officer by Muzaffar Shah (P.W. 2), father of the deceased Sanno. It was alleged in that application that his daughter Sanno was married to Bhoora s/o Itwari Shah r/o Mohallah Dehli Darwaja, Sambhal. Before Eid festival, Sanno alongwith her one year daughter had come to his house to meet him. At that time she had told that her husband blames her to be characterless and he says that her daughter is born due to illicit relations. It was further stated in the said application that when Bhoora came on 27.1.1998, he assured that he would not suspect about the character of Sanno in future. Thereafter Sanno was sent with him. It is also alleged that on 12.2.1998, Smt. Noor Jahan w/o Akhtar Husain r/o Mohallah Dehli Darwaja, Sambhal came to Rampur to meet the complainant Muzaffar Shah, but he was not there at the house. Noor Jahan returned to her house informing the daughter of the complainant that when her father comes back to house, he be informed to meet Mazeed in kasba Sambhal. When on arrival to his house, Muzaffar Shah went to Sambhal on 15.2.1998 to meet Mazeed, then Mazeed show the photos of Sanno and her daughter, which were published in Amar Ujala newspaper of 11th February, 1998 of Moradabad edition. Seeing those photos, the complainant identified them. Thereafter, Mazeed and Noor Jahan told the complainant that when after seeing and identifying the photo of Sanno in the newspaper, they asked Bhoora on 12.2.1998 about Sanno, he told that “Maine badchalani ke shak par Sanno wa uski bachchi ko Jivai ke taraf jangal men mar diya hai. Ab Khuda ke waste meri galti maph kar do. Main yahan se bahut door ja raha hun”. Mazeed and Noor Jahan also told the complainant that they tried to catch Bhoora, but he fled away. Further case of the prosecution is that during investigation Bhoora was arrested on 5.3.1998 and on the basis of his discloser statement one knife was recovered on his pointing out from Kachchi chak-road filled with mud and water in the jungle of village Jivai. After completion of the investigation, one charge-sheet under Section 302/201, IPC and another charge-sheet under Section 4/25, Arms Act were submitted against the appellant-accuse