JUDGMENT

L.M. Sharma, J -The appellant was convicted by the trial court for double murder of a woman, Jayasambal by name and her son Vijay Anand, and was sentenced to death. He was further convicted under section 307, I.P.C. for attempting to kill Vijay Anand's sister Kavitha Priyadarsini and for house trespass in order to commit the aforesaid offences, and was sentenced to life imprisonment under each of the two counts. His appeal before the Madras High Court was dismissed and the sentence of death confirmed. The present Special Leave Petition was filed against this judgment.

2. At the preliminary hearing we were satisfied that the appel1ant was rightly convicted as mentioned earlier. We, however, directed notice to be issued on the question of sentence. Accordingly, limited special leave is granted.

3. According to the case of the prosecution, Dr. Manickasamy (P.W. 1), the husband of the deceased Jayasambal and fathers of deceased Vijay Anand, was a doctor working in the Government Hospital at Sadras and the appellant as a Leprosy Inspector under him. The doctor had taken a second wife whom he was keeping in another house with their 3 children. The appellant developed close assoc