ORAL JUDGMENT

(PER : HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ILESH J. VORA)

1. This criminal appeal preferred by the sole accused Baldevbhai Budhaji Dhulaji Chauhan (Thakor), under Section 374(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, is directed against the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 10.09.2024 passed by the learned Additional City Sessions Judge, Ahmedabad in Sessions Case No.467 of 2017 by which the appellant-accused has been convicted under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code and capital punishment.

The break-up of sentence and fine amount is as follows:

2. The death reference (2 of 2024) has come up before this Court for the conference of death sentence.

3. As the death reference as well as the appeal both arise out of the same judgment and order, they have been heard and are being decided together.

Factual aspects:

4. The case of the prosecution leading to the conviction of the appellant accused is as follows:

4.1 The appellant accused was charged and convicted for the offenc