JUDGMENT :

(Per the Hon’ble Sri Justice K.Sreenivasa Reddy)

Sole accused in Sessions Case No.51 of 2015 on the file of the I Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Visakhapatnam (for short, ‘the learned Sessions Judge’), is the appellant herein.

2. Vide judgment dated 27.02.2017 in the aforesaid Sessions Case, the appellant was convicted of the offence punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short, ‘IPC’) and sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay fine of Rs.500/- in default to suffer simple imprisonment for a period of three months.

3. The substance of charge as against the accused is that on 18.08.2014 at about 6.00 AM, the accused hacked Chedala Narayana, s/o.Mallanna (hereinafter referred to, as ‘deceased No.1’) with a knife and on the even date, he hacked Chedala Janakamma, w/o. Gundanna (hereinafter referred to, as ‘deceased No.2’) at Goppulapalem village, casing death of both the deceased and thereby he committed the offence punishable under Section 302 IPC.

4. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that deceased No.2 is wife of the accused. Their marriage took place about 13 years prior to the incident. They lived in Goppulapalem village,