prosecution, PWs 1 to 19 were examined and Exts.P1 to P20 were marked. On the side of the defence, 5 witnesses were examined as DWs 1 to 5 and Exts.D1 to D7 were marked. After trial, the Court below found that the accused committed the offences punishable under Sections 342 and 376(2) r/w 34 of IPC and they were convicted for the said offences. The 1st accused was also found guilty of the offence punishable under Section 506(ii) of IPC and he was convicted additionally for the said offence as well. The accused were sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of ten years each and to pay a fine of Rs.1,00,000/- each, in default to suffer simple imprisonment for one year each for the offence punishable under Sections 376(2) r/w 34 of IPC and to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year each for the offence punishable under Section 342 of IPC. The 1st accused was further sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of five years for the offence punishable under Section 506(ii) of IPC. The accused were acquitted for the remaining offences. Aggrieved by the said conviction and sentence, the 1st accused preferred Crl .Appeal No. 186 of 2014, the 2nd accused preferred Crl. Appeal No.192 of 2014 and the 3rd accused preferred Crl. Appeal No.193 of 2014. Since all the appeals are connected, I am disposing of them together.
