REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NOS. 127-130 OF 2008

C. Muniappan & Ors.

… Appellants

Vs.

State of Tamil Nadu

…Respondents

WITH

CRIMINAL APPEAL NOS.1632-1634 OF 2010

(Arising out of SLP(Crl.) Nos. 1482-1484 of 2008)

D.K. Rajendran & Ors. etc.etc.

…Appellants

Vs.

State of Tamil Nadu

….Respondent

J U D G M E N T

Dr. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.

1.

Leave granted in Special Leave Petition (Criminal) Nos.

1482-1484 of 2008.

2.

These appeals have been preferred against the Judgment

and Order dated 6.12.2007 of the High Court of Madras in

Crl. Appeal Nos. 226, 266 and 267 of 2007, and Death

Sentence Reference in Trial No. 1 of 2007.

3.

Facts and circumstances giving rise to these cases are

that on 22.1.2000, the students of the Horticulture College

and Research Centre, Periakulam, affiliated to the Tamil Nadu

Agricultural University, Coimbatore (hereinafter called the

‘University’), left for an educational tour in two buses. One

bus was carrying male students and the other bus was

carrying 47 female students. After completing the educational

tour, the students came to Paiyur, nea