(Delivered by Hon'ble Rajeev Misra,J.)

1. The present criminal appeal arises out of the judgment and order dated 12.1.1984, passed by the Special Judge, Essential Commodities (Special Provisions) Act, 1981 Banda, in Sessions Trial No. 344 of 1979 (State Vs. Ram Autar and three others), whereby the accused appellant no. 1 Ram Autar, along with the accused appellant no. 2 Ram Deen, were convicted under Section 302 IPC read with Section 34 IPC. Each of the aforesaid accused were sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life. They were further convicted under Section 201 IPC, and each of them were sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of seven years. Accused appellant no. 3 Rameshwar, along with accused appellant no. 4 Gulab, were convicted under Section 302 IPC read with Section 109 IPC, and each of them were sentenced to undergo life imprisonment. They were further convicted under Section 202 IPC, and each of them were further sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of six months. The sentence awarded to each of the accused appellants were to run concurrently.

2. From the record, it transpires that the present criminal appeal was filed by the ab