Dudekula Siddaiah vs The State Of Andhra Pradesh on 23 October, 2024

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Andhra Pradesh High Court - Amravati

Dudekula Siddaiah vs The State Of Andhra Pradesh on 23 October, 2024

Bench: K Suresh Reddy

lN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH :.I AMARAVATl

WEDNESDAY ,THE TWENTY THIRD DAY OF OCTOBER

TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FOUR

PRESENT
HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K SURESH REDDY

AND
HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K SREENIVASA REDDY

ELF_FERRED TRIAL NO: 1 OF 2P_2!

AND

_CRIMINAL APPEAL Not 191 OF 202£

REFERRED TRIAL NO: 1 OF 2Q2±

Between:

The State ofAndhra Pradesh, Rep. by P.P. High Court ofA.P. Amaravathi,
Through Deputy Superintendent of police, Disha Manila Police Station,

Ongole, Prakasam District.

..lComplainant

AND

Dudekula Siddaiah, S/o Peeraiah, Aged 31 years, C/Dedekula,
Ambavaram Village, Giddalur Mandal, Prakasam District

...Prisoner(Accused)

Trial referred by the court of ll Additional District and SessI'OnS Judge,
Ongle, FAG Judge, Special Court for Speedy trial of Offences under
protection of children from sexual offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act),
Ongole for confirmation of the death sentence awarded against the
Accused in S.C. No. 78/2021 connected to Crime No. 379/2021 of Giddalur

Police Station.
tfa CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 191 OF 2023

Appeal under Section 374(2) of Cr.P.C against the Calendar and
Judgment passed by the ll Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-
Special Judge for Trial of Offences against Women, Prakasam District,
Ongole, FAG Special Court for Speedy Trial of Offences under Protection of
Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 in S.C.No.78 of 2021, Dated

25.01.2023.

Betwee n :
Dudekula Siddaiah, S/o.Peeraiah, Aged about 32 years, C/Dudekula,
R/o.Ambavaram Village, Giddalur MandaI, Prakasam District, Andhra

Pradesh.

...Appellant/Sole Accused

AND

The State of Andhra Pradesh, Rep. by its Public Prosecutor, High Court of
A.P., at Amaravathi

..Respondent/Complallnant

This Referred Trial and Appeal coming on for hearing, upon perusing the letter

of Reference made by ll Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ongle,
FAC Judge, Special Court for Speedy trial of Offences under Protection of
Children from Sexual offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), Ongole U/s 366 of
Cr.P.C vide Dis No.92 dated 25.01.2023 and the petition of Appeal, the record
of the evidence and proceedings of the said Court of Session, and upon
hearing the arguments of Sri I.V.N Raju, engaged for the defence under rule
228 of the Criminal Rules of Practice and orders,1931 and of Sri M.Lakshmi

Narayana, for the Public Prosecutor on behalf of the State and having stood
over for consideration till this day, the Court made the following:
HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI

REFERRED TRIAL No. 1 OF 2023
AND
CRIMINAL APPEFTNo.191 OF 2023
Between:
Dudekula Siddaiah,
S/o Peeraiah, 32 years, C/o Dudekula,
R/o Ambavaram Village, Giddalur Mandal,
Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh Appellant
AND
The State of Andhra Pradesh,
Rep. by its Public Prosecutor,
High Court ofA.P.,
Amaravati. Respondent

Date of Judgment Pronounced 23-10-2024

SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL:
THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE K.SURESH REDDY
AND
THE HON'BLE SR! JUSTICE K.SREENIVASA REDDY

1. Whether Reporters of Local newspapers
may be allowed to see the judgment?
/
Yes/No

2. Whether the copy of judgment may
be marked to Law Reporters/Journals?
/
Yes/No

3. Whether Their Lordships wish to see the
fair copy of the judgment?
/
Yes/No
J.-J, '

:IEEJ±QLN'BLE SRI Ju±TIC_E_K.SUBES±
AND

I±iHON'BLE SRI JUSTICE K.SREENIVASA REDDY

±BEFERRED TRIAL No.1 OFZQ2£
AND
CRIMINAL APPEAL N o.191 OF 2023

a/oDated|| 23-10-2024

#Dudekula siddaiah, s/o peeraiah,
32 years, C/o Dudekula,
R/o Ambavaram village, Gl'ddalur Mandal,
Prakasam DI'StriCt, Andhra Pradesh
AppeIIant
VERSUS
SThe State of Andhra Pradesh,
Rep. by its public prosecutor,
High Court of A.P.,
Amaravati
Respondent

!Counsel for the appellant sri I.v.N.RaJ-u

^counselforthe respondent: sri M.Lakshml-Narayana,

Learned publl'c Prosecutor
<GIST:

>HEAD NOTE:

? Cases referred:
1. AIR 1980SC898
2. (2023) 2 SCC 353
3. 2023LiveLaw(SC)217
ERE

HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE K.SURESH REDDY

AND

HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE K.SREENIVASA REDDY

REFERRED TRIAL No. 1 OF 2023

AND

CRIMINAL APPEAL No.191 OF 2023

COMMON JUDGMENT-. (per Hon'ble Sri Justice K.Suresh Reddy)

By judgment dated 25-01-2023 in S.C.No. 78 of 2021 on

the file of the Court of learned Special Judge for Trial of Offences

under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012,

Prakasam District at Ongole (for short, 'the trial Court'), the sole

accused was found guilty of the offences under Sections 201,

342, 366, 376-AB and 302 of Indian Penal Code (for short, 'IPC')

and Section 6 read with Section 5 (I) (m) (r) of the Protection of

Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short, '2012 Act').

2. The sole accused was tried by the trial Court under the

following charges:

I charge was under Section 366 lPC;

Il charge was under Section 342 lPC;

Ill charge was under Section 376-AB IPC;
`.\r

IV charge was under Section 302 lPC',

v charge was under Section 201 IPC;

vl charge was under Section 6 of 2012 Act; and

Last charge was under Section 5 (I) (m) (r) of 2012 Act.

3. The trial Court sentenced the accused tO Suffer rigorous

imprisonment for seven years and also to pay a fine of Rs.500/-,

in default to suffer simple imprisonment for a Period Of three

months, for the offence under section 201 lPC; to suffer rigorous

imprisonment for one year and also to pay a f-lne of Rs.500/-, in

default to suffer simple imprisonment for a period of three months,

for the offence under section 342 IPC; to suffer rigorous

imprisonment for ten years and also to pay a fine of Rs.500/-, in

default to suffer simple imprisonment for a period of three months,

for the offence under section 366 lPC; to suffer rigorous
'lmprisonment for not less than twenty years wh'lch may extend to

imprisonment for life which shall mean imprisonment for the

remainder of natural life and also tO Pay a fine Of Rs,500/-, in

default to suffer simple imprisonment for a period of three months,

for the offence under section 376-AB IPC; to suffer death penalty

and also to pay a fine of Rs.500/-, in default tO Suffer Simple

imprisonment for a period of three months, for the offence under
'``b

section 302 lPC and to suffer death penalty and also to pay a fine

of Rs.500/-, in default to suffer simple imprisonment for a period

of three months, for the offence under Section 6 read with Section

5 (I) (m) (r) of 2012 Act. All the substantive sentences Were

directed to run concurrently.

4. Since the accused was sentenced tO Suffer death Penalty

on two counts, the trial Court by letter dated 25-01-2023

submitted the proceedings to this court in terms of Section 366 of

the code of cr'lminal procedure (for short, 'Cr.P.C.I) for

confirmation of death penalty. The Registry numbered the Said

letter as R.T.No. 1 of 2023. Questioning the COnViCtiOn and

sentence recorded by the trial court, the accused preferred

criminal Appeal No.191 of 2023.

5. The substance of the Charges iS that On 08-07-2021 at

about 3 p.m., the accused kidnapped the deceased, Who Was

aged about 7 years, at Ambavaram Village, Giddalur Mandal,

wrongfully confined her, committed rape on her and banged her

head to a wooden cot causing her death and in the said process,

he wiped blood with a quilt and packed the dead body in a plastic

bag and threw it in a canal, thereby comm.ltted the offences

punishable under sections 201, 342, 366, 376-AB and 302 lPC
.fa

and Section 6 read with Section 5 (I) (m) (r) of 2012 Act. After

completion of trial, the trl'al Court convicted the accused as stated

SuPra-

6. Caseoftheprosecution in briefisthus:

The accused as well as the material prosecution witnesses

are residents of Ambavaram village, Giddalur Mandal, Prakasam

District. P.W.2 I'S mother Of the deceased. The deceased was

aged about 7 years and was studying ll class in M.P.U.P. School,

Ambavaram VI'llage. Due to corona pandemic, schools were not

functionI'ng and at the tl'me of I'nCI'dent, the deceased was playing

with other children. While so, on 08-07-2021, the deceased went

for playing and returned back home. At about 3 p.m., P.W.2 saw

the accused taking the deceased by putting his hand on her

shoulders. As the accused is uncle by courtesy, p.w.2 was

under the impressI'On that She Will come back again. Till evening

5 p.m., the deceased did not return home. p.w.2 and her

husband searched for the deceased and they found the accused

and the deceased were missing. whl®le so, on the next day ,-.e. on

09-07-2021 at about 3 p.m., Shal'k Khammam Khasim Peera,

Village Revenue Assistant, Ambavaram village-L.W.5 came to

P.W.1-VI`IIage Revenue OffI-Cer, Ambavaram village, and informed
\t-

the latter that there was a plastic bag with packing in the canal

which is near to the road that leads to fields from the village.

Immediately, P.W.1 along with L.W.5 rushed to the said place

and noticecl a hand visible in the said bag. He came to the

conclusion that dead body of a child was packed in the said

plastic bag. P.W.1 kept L.W.5 at that place and went to Giddalur

Police Station for lodging report. P.W.14-the then in-charge Sub

Inspector of Police, Giddalur Police Station, received Ex.P1-

Report from P.W.1 and registered a case in crime No. 379 of

2021 under Sections 302 and 201 lPC and submitted copies of

FIR to all the concerned. Ex.P25 is copy of FIR. Immediately,

P.W.14 went to P.W.15-Inspector of Police, Giddalur, who took up

investigation. P.W.15 sent intimation to Additional

Superintenclent of Police, Prakasam District, for sending dog

squad to Ambavaram Village. P.W.15 recorded statement of

P.W.1 at police station. Then, P.W.15 secured the presence of

P.W.8 and t,ne Yandala Pedda Rangaiah (L.W.16)-Mediators and

rushed to the scene of offence wh'lch is situated towards western

side of Ambavaram Village. P.W.15 found dead body of the

deceased in dry canal by the side of road covered in a plastic

bag. p.W.15 got lifted the bag from the canal with the help Of One
T\

E
Amaravathi GurumurthI'-L.W.7 and Amaravathi Sivarao-L.W.8 and

got it opened with them and found one female child dead body

with injuries on head and also on private parts. p.w.15 also

noticed one bite injury on right cheek. L.W.5 identified the dead

body as that of daughter of P.W.2. Immediately, P.W.2 along

with her relatives came to the canal and found the dead body of

her daughter in the sal'd plastic bag. P.W.15 seized one yellow

colour plastic bag, one white colour plastic bag with bloodstains,

one colour Photostat copy of aadhar card belonging to the

accused, Chandranna Ramzan Tohfa bag, white colour thermocoI

Pieces, One yellow COIour plastic bag with Thums Up symbol, one

Annapurna Gold brawn rice bag and v-guard symbol plastic fan

cover under Ex.P9-Panchanama and they were marked as

M.Os.1 to 8. P.W.15 also prepared Ex.P26-Rough Sketch at the

scene of offence. P.W.15 also got photographed the scene and

the photographs were marked as Ex.P27. P.W.15 secured the

Presence Of P.Ws.2, 5 and others and recorded their statements.

On the same day at about 8.30 p.m., Dog Squad came from

Ongole. PW.9-Armed Reserve Police Constable in Dog Squad

took the dog squad to the dead body of the deceased and after

smelling, the dog led to the house of the accused and pulled the
t`I

quilted cloth kept under a napa stone by its legs. The dog also

went near the cycle kept under Neem tree which belonged to the

accused. The panchanama was marked as Ex.P9. P.W.15 also

prepared route map from canal to the house of the accused and

returning again to the canal. Ex.P28 is route map. Then, P.W.15

recorded statement of p.w.9. P.W.15 rushed to the house of the

accused along with p.w.8 and L.W.16 and minutely observed his

house. p.w.15 seized quilted cloth, red COIOur Sandal Slippers

and one atlas cycle under Ex.Pll-Panchanama 'ln the Presence

of p.w.8 and L.W.16 and they were marked aS M.Os.9 to ll.

p.w.15 prepared Ex.P29-Rough Sketch at the house Of the

accused. Ion the same day, p.w.15 exam'lned some Of the

witnesses. on 10-07-2021, P.W.15 held inquest over the dead

body of the deceased in the presence of P.W.8 and others.

inquest report was marked as Ex.P2. ln the inquest report, it Was

opined by the mediators that the accused committed rape on the

deceased and killed her and to screen away the evidence, the

accused threw the dead body -Into canal by packing in a plastic

bag. p.w.15 added Sections 366, 342 and 376-AB IPC and

section 6 of 2012 Act by filing Ex.P3-Memo before learned

Judicial I Class Magistrate, Giddalur. Thereafter, P.W.15 sent the
RI J=

I I,:1

dead body for conducting post mortem examination. p.w.13-Civil

Assistant Surgeon, Community Health Centre, Giddalur,

conducted autopsy over the dead body of the deceased on

10-07-2021. P.W.13 preserved some items for expert opinion

and the preserved l'tems were sent to RegI'Onal Forensic Science

Laboratory, Guntur, for expert opinion. R.F.S.L. Report was

marked as Ex.P23. After receipt of R.F.S.L. Report, P.W.13 gave

his final opinion under Ex.P24.

On 10-07-2021, P.W.16-the then Deputy Superintendent of

Police, Disha Women Police Station, having received instructions

from the SuperI'ntendent Of Police, Prakasam District, took up

further investigation. P.W.16 received C.D. file from P.W.14. On

the same day, P.W.16 visited Ambavaram village and examined

the scene of offence in the presence of p.w.8 and L.W.16.

P.W.16 once again examined p.ws.1 to 4 and others and

recorded their statements. On ll-07-2021, on the requI'SitiOn Of

P.W.16, P.W.7-Headmaster, M.P.U.P. School, Ambavaram

Village, issued Ex.P7-Certl®ficate which mentions the date of birth

of the deceased as 19-09-2014 and also issued Ex.P8-Certificate

certifyl'ng that the deceased was a bone f,-de student at the

institution studying Ill class as on the date of offence. p.w.16
¥Q ll

also recorded the statement of p.w.7. On the same day at about

2.30 p.m., on credible information, p.w.16 arrested the accused

near RTC Bus Stand, Giddalur, in the presence of p.w.8 and

L.W.16. The accused confessed about the commission of

offence. Panchanama for arrest and confession was marked as

Ex.P13. P.W.16 seized clothes worn by the accused under a

cover of panchanama and they were marked as M.Os.15 to 17.

The clothes were stained with blood and semen. The accused

led P.W.16 and mediators to his house vyhere he committed rape

on the deceased and caused her death. The accused also led

the police and mediators to the place where he threw the dead

body into the canal. Once again, P.W.16 prepared Ex.P15-

Observation Report in the presence of P.W.8 and L.W.16.

P.W.16 produced the accused before concerned Court and the

accused was remanded to judicial custody. On 13-07-2021,

P.W.16 filed a memo before the Court concerned seeking to send

the accused for conducting potency test on him. P.W.12-the then

Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Guntur

Medical College, Guntur, conducted potency test on the accused

and issued Ex.P20-Potency Certificate opining that there is

nothing to suggest that the accused is not capable of performing
ti

sexual intercourse. P.W.16 also forwarded the material obJ-eCtS tO

Forensic Science Laboratory, Mangalagiri, for DNA analysis. On

14-07-2021, P.W.16 filed a memo-Ex.P41 before concerned

Court for collecting blood samples of the accused for developing

DNA profile. As per the orders of learned magistrate, p.w.16

forvarded the accused to Forensic Science Laboratory,

Mangalagiri, along with a requI-SitiOn under Ex.P42. DNA report

was marked as Ex.P23. After receipt of RFSL Report and post

morfem report and after completion of l'nvestigation, p.w.16 filed

charge sheet.

7. ln support of its case, the prosecution examined p.`ws.1 to

16 and got marked Exs.Pl to P44 apart from exhibiting M.Os.1 to

17.

8. When the accused was examined under section 313

Cr.P.C., he denied the incriminating evidence appearing against

him and reported no defence evidence.

9. Accepting the evidence of prosecution witnesses, the trial

Court convicted the accused as aforesaid.

10. Heard Sri I.V.N.Raju, learned counsel appearing for the

appellant-accused, and Sri M.Lakshmi Narayana, learned Public

Prosecutor appearing for the respondent-state.
13

ll. We have carefully analyzed the entire evidence available

On record. There are no eyewitnesses to the incident and the

Prosecution rests its Case On Circumstantial evidence. The first

circumstance relied upon by the prosecution is last seen theory;

the second circumstance relied upon by the prosecution is the

accused carrying the dead body in a plastic bag on his cycle on

the fateful day at the relevant point of time; the third circumstance

relied upon by the prosecution is the accused throwing the plastic

bag containing the dead body of the deceased in a dry canal and

the last circumstance relied upon by the prosecution is medical

evidence adduced by P.Ws.10 to 13 coupled with Exs.P18 to P21

and R.F.S.L. Reports-Exs.P22 and P23.

12. To substantiate the first circumstance ,-.e. last seen theory,

the prosecution examined mother and grandmother of the

deceased as P.Ws.2 and 5 respectively. P.W.2 I'n her evidence

stated that on 08-07-2021, the deceased was playing with other

children as schools were closed during corona pandemic. After

playing with children, the deceased returned back and asked her

father for one rupee and thereafter, the deceased went and

purchased some snacks and returned back home. The deceased

asked P.W.2 for drinking water. P.W.2 went inside and brought
\\\,\\

drinking water and she noticed the accused tak,-ng the deceased

by putting hl-s hand on her shoulders. p.w.2 further stated that

she was under the impression that the deceased would return

back along with the accused as he is uncle by courtesy to the

deceased. p.w.2 waited till 5 p.m. in the evening but the

deceased did not return. p.w.5 jn her evl'dence also stated that

when she questI-Oned the deceased, the latter repII-ed that she

went to bring Raja KhaI-nj for the accused and as the same was

not available, she was goI'ng tO the accused for returning the

money. p.ws.2, 5 and other relatives searched for the deceased

and they found that the accused and the deceased were missing.

Though p.ws.2 and 5 were cross-examl-ned at length, the

defence could not elicit anything adverse to the prosecution

version. The evI'dence of P.Ws.2 and 5 further disclosed that on

the next day at about 3 p.m., on I'nfOrmatjon, they went to the

canal and found the dead body of the deceased in a plastJ'C bag.

As such, the evidence of p.ws.2 and 5 clinchingly established

that the deceased was last seen in the company of the accused.

13. Coming to the second cl'rcumstance ,'.e. the accused

carrying the dead body of the deceased by packing in a plastl'c

bag on his cycle and going towards the canal, the evI'denCe Of
:`t` 15

P.Ws.3 and 4, who are husband and wife residing in the same

line where the accused and P.W.2 were residing, is available on

record. P.W.3 in his evidence stated that he is eking out his

livelihood by running auto rickshaw; that on the fateful day at

about 8 a.m., he left the house and returned back at about 3 p.m.

for taking lunch and that at that time, he noticed the accused

carrying a plastic bag on his cycle and going towards western

side of the village. P.W.4 also deposed in the same lines stating

that she found the accused carrying a plastic bag on his cycle

and going towards western side of the village. Both P.Ws.3 and 4

were under the impression that the accused was carrying some

articles on his cycle for selling the same for the purpose of

consuming alcohol. They also found the accused comI'ng back

and keeping his cycle under a tree in front of his house and went

to bazaar. lt is the further evidence of P.Ws.3 and 4 that at about

5 p.m., thely came to know that the daughter of p.w.2 was

missing. They further stated that the accused also found missing

in the village thereafter; that on the next day, they went to the

canal and found the dead body of the deceased and that they

informed about the accused carrying a plastic bag on his cycle to

P.Ws.1 and 2. From the evidence of P.Ws.3 and 4, the
T`.

prosecution is also able to prove that the accused carried the

dead body of the deceased by packing it in a plastic bag towards

Western Side Of the Village and returned back after sometime and

thereafter absconded from the village.

14. To substantiate the third circumstance, ,I.e. the accused

throwing the dead body in dry canal, relied upon by the

prosecution, the prosecution examined p.w.6 who is also

resident of the same village. P.W.6 in her evl'dence stated that on

the fateful day at the relevant point of time, while she was

returning from fields after attending coolie work and when .she

reached near Sudda Bavi, she found the accused removl'ng the

plastic bag from his cycle and throwing the same in dry canal and

she thought that the accused might have thrown some unused

vessels into the canal. P.W.6 further stated that on the same

day, she came to know that the daughter of p.w.2 was missing

and she also went along with P.W.2 in search of the deceased;

that on the next day at about 3 p.m., she also went to dry canal

and found the dead body of the deceased in a plastic bag and

that she immediately informed P.Ws.1, 2 and others that she saw

the accused while throwing the plastic bag into the canal on the

fateful day. As such, the evl'dence adduced through p.w.6
17

establishes the factum of throwl'ng the dead body of the deceased

by the accused into dry canal. The prosecution is therefore able

to Prove the last seen theory, the accused carrying the dead body

of the deceased jn a plastic bag and throwing the same in dry

canal.

15. Admittedly, on the information given by L.W.5, P.W.1 went

to the canal and found the dead body of the deceased in a plastic

bag. P.W.1 immediately rushed to police station and lodged

Ex.P1-Report to P.W.14 on 09-07-2021. The above evidence

adduced by the prosecution clearly established the link of chain of

events to connect that the accused committed the offences

against the deceased. The prosecution also established the age

of the deceased by examining p.w.7 who issued Exs.P7 and P8.

16. Coming to the medical evidence, P.W.12-the then Assistant

Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Guntur Medical

College, Guntur, issued Ex.P20-Potency CertifI'Cate opining that

there Its nothing to suggest that the accused is not capable of

Performing Sexual intercourse. P.W.13-Civil Assistant Surgeon,

Specialist at Community Health Centre, Giddalur, conducted

autopsy over the dead body of the deceased and found the

following injuries:
¥.\

llLaceration of 2.5 centimetres x 2 centl'metres x Bone Deep

2 centimetres above the left eyebrow-forehead,I

Laceration of 3.5 centimetres x 2.5 centimetres x Bone

Deep 32 centimetres above the left eyebrow;

Lateral cantus of left eye;

Excoriation of skI®n 4 centimetres x 3 centimetres on the left

collar bone-insect eaten (Ant bite);

Excoriation of skin 6 centl'metres x 2 centimetres o the neck

anterior aspect-insect eaten (Ant bite);

Contusion of 2xl centimetres below left clavicle;

Linear contusion of 3 centimetre on the left angle of mouth,I

and

Eccentrl'c contusion of 3 centI-metres radius with clear area

in the centre on rI-ght Cheek -bite marks."

P.W.13 preserved the following items for expert opinl'on:

"Swabs are collected from

1. Labia Majora,

2. Perennial RegI'On and

3. Vaginal Swab;
Slt
19

Sides-Smear collected from 1. Smear from vaginal cavity -

3 in number, 2. Smear from anus - 1 in number and 3.

Smear from stains of undergarments - 1 in number."

P.W.13 gave his final report opining that the cause of death of the

deceased is due to multiple injuries associated with sexual

assault and that as per DNA analysis report, the DNA extracted

from vaginal douching is matching with the blood sample

collected from the accused at Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science

Laboratory, Mangalagiri. P.W.13 issued post morfem report-

Ex.P21 and final report-Ex.P24. The evidence adduced through

P.WS.12 and 13 coupled with Exs.P20 to P24 clinchingly

established that it is the accused who killed the deceased after

committing rape on her. As such, the prosecution is able to prove

the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

17. lnsofar as sentence is concerned, the trial Court imposed

death penalty on two counts. It is settled law that unless a case

falls under rarest of rare cases, capital punishment cannot be

imposed. In Bachan S,-ngh Vs. Sfafe of Pt,n/'ab7, the Hon'ble

Apex Court held at paragraph Nos. 206 and 209 as under:

"206. Dr Chitale has suggested these mitigating factors:

1AIR 1980SC898
/+-

Mitigating circumstances-
In the exercise of its discretion in the above cases, the
court shall take into account the following circumstances:

(1) That the offence was committed under the
influence of extreme mental or emotional
disturbance.

(2) The age of the accused. If the accused is
young or old, he shall not be sentenced to
death.

(3) The probability that the accused would not
commit criminal acts of violence as would
constitute a continuing threat to society.

(4) The probability that the accused can be
reformed and rehabilitated. The State shall by
evidence prove that the accused does not
satisfy the conditions (3) and (4) above.

(5) That in the facts and circumstances of the
case the accused believed that he was
morally justified in committing the offence.~

(6) That the accused acted under the duress or
domination of another person.

(7) Thatthe condition of the accused showed
that he was mentally defective and that the
said defect impaired his capacity to
appreciate the criminality of h-IS conduct.

2O9. There are numerous other c-IrCumStanCeS justifying
the passing of the lighter sentence; as there are
countervailing circumstances of aggravation. "We
Qtt
21

cannot obviously feed into a judicial computer all
such situations since they are astrological
imponderables in an imperfect and undulating

society." Nonetheless, it cannot be over-emphasized
that the scope and concept of mitigating factors in
the area of death penalty must receive a liberal and
expansive construction by the courts in accord with
the sentencing policy writ large in Section 354(3).

Judges should never be bloodthirsty. Hanging of
murderers has never been too good for them. Facts
and Figures, albeit incomplete, furnished by the
Union of India, show that in the past, courts have
inflicted the extreme penalty with extreme
infrequency - a fact which attests to the caution
and compassion which they have always brought to
bear on the exerc®ISe Of their Sentencing d®ISCretiOn in

SO grave a matter. It is, therefore, imperative to
voice the concern that courts, aided by the broad
illustrative guide-lines indicated by us, will discharge

the onerous function with evermore scrupulous care
and humane concern, directed along the highroad of
legislative policy outlined in Section 354(3) viz. that

for persons convicted of murder, life imprisonment is
the rule and death sentence an exception. A real
and abiding concern for the dignity of human life

postulates resistance to taking a life through law's
instrumentality. That ought not to be done save in

the rarest of rare cases when the alternative option
is unquestionably foreclosed."
B!

18. Learned counsel appearing for the appellant-accused

places relilance on Manoj and others vs. state of Madhya

pradesh2, wherein the Hon'ble Apex Court held at paragraph

Nos. 214 to 218 as follows:

"214. Capital punishment is prescribed in numerous lpc

offences, including murder, kidnapping for ransom,

rape and injury causing death or leaving a woman in
a vegetative state, rape or gang rape of a child below
12 years' old, dacoity with murder, among other
offences. In Bachan singh v. state of punjab

[Bachan Singh v. State of punjab, (1980) 2 SCC
684 : 1980 SCC (Cri) 580] (hereafter "Bachan
Singh''), this court had upheld the impos-ItiOn Of death

Penalty as an alternate punishment under section
302IPC on the strength of the 35th Report of the Law
Commission of India (1967), the judgment in

Jagmohan Singh v. State of U.P. [Jagmohan singh v.

State of U.P., (1973) 1 SCC 20 : 1973 SCC (Cri) 169]

(which had also noted that the 35th Report
advocated for retention) and in several subsequent
cases decided by this court, in which the death

Penalty Was recognized tO be a deterrent. It laid
emphasis on the then recently added sections
253(2) and 354(3) Cr.P.C. which provide for

bifurcated pre-sentence hearing and sentencing

2 (2023) 2 SCC 353
H 23

Procedure On conviction Of Capital offences, to
conclude that this form of punishment continued to

have legislative backing and thereby, represented
the will of the people.

215. lt is undeniable that there have been shifts in how lt

is undeniable that there have been shifts in how

punishment in capital offences are dealt with. This is
apparent when developments are looked at
holisticaIIy, or at a macro level: the amendments to
the Cr.P.C. by Parliament, the 35th and 262nd Law
Commission Reports which stand over 30 years
apart, and the precedents of this Court, across the
decades. Initially, the law imposed a requirement of
written reasons for not imposing death penalty, which

Was removed in 1955. ln 1973, through further

amendment to the CrPC and insertion of Section

354(3) - life imprisonment became the norm and
imposition of death penalty required "special

reasons"; and through Section 253(2) - sentencing
required separate consideration from the questi`on of

conviction. ln both phases i.e. post-1955 and post-

1973, capital punishment was upheld to be

constitutional by five-Judge Benches of this Court in

Jagmohan Singh [Jagmohan Singh v. State of U.P.,

(1973) 1 SCC 20 -.1973 SCC (Cri) 169] and Bachan
Singh [Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab, (1980) 2
SCC 684 : 1980 SCC (Cri) 580] , respectively.
24

216. The 262nd Law Commission Report on Death
penalty (2015) (hereafter "the 262nd Report"), is a
result of this Courf's references in Primarily two

cases. Firstly, in Santosh Kumar Satishbhushan
Bariyar v. State of Maharashtra [Santosh Kumar
satishbhushan Bariyar v. State of Maharashtra,

(2009) 6 SCC 498, para 112 : (2009) 2 SCC (Cri)
1150] (hereafter "Santosh Bariyar') where, after

taking note of the uN General Assembly Resolution
62/149 [ Adopted on 18-12-2007.] it was pointed Out

that credible research was required tO Shape an
informed discussion and debate, on the contentious
issue of death sentence. Secondly] the judgment in

shankar Kisanrao Khade v. State of Maharashtra

[shankar Kisanrao Khade v. State of Maharashtra,
(2013) 5 SCC 546, paras 148-149 : (2013) 3 SCC

(cri) 402] tasked the Law Commission to resolve the
issue of whether death penalty is a deterrent

punishment, is retributive justice, or serves an
incapacitat'lve goal; and to study the difference in

approach adopted by the judiciary (rarest of rare) and
the executive (what was termed as unknown) wh'IIe

granting commutation. In attempting tO fulfil this
mandate, the commission discerned an urgent need
for re-examination of its own earlier
recommendations on the death penalty (in its 35th

Report, 1967), given the drastic Change in SOC®IaI,

economic, and cultural contexts Of the COuntry Since
H 25

the 35th Report, and arbitrariness which has
remained a major concern in the adjudication of
death penalty cases since Bachan Singh [Bachan
Singh v. State of Punjab, (1980) 2 SCC 684 ~.1980

SCC (Cri) 580] laid down the foundational principle of
"rarest of rare".

217. Reflective of changed circumstances and evolving

discourse, the Report marks a shift in the approach
towards the death penalty in India, going so far as to
recommend abolition in all offences, except those
relating to terrorism. A large part of the Report

focusses on courts' discretion and judicial reasoning
when it comes to sentencing. It concludes that death

penalty sentencing in India has been based on an
arbitrary application of the Bachan Singh [Bachan

Singh v. State of Punjab, (1980) 2 SCC 684 : 1980

SCC (Cri) 580] principle, and has become Judge-
centric, based on the personal predilection of Judges
-a concern which was alluded to even by this Court

in Swamy Shraddananda (2) v. State of Karnataka

[Swamy Shraddananda (2) v. State of Karnataka,
(2008) 13 SCC 767 ~. (2009) 3 SCC (Cri) 113] and
analysed extensively again in Santosh Bariyar

[Santosh Kumar Satishbhushan Bariyar v. State of
Maharashtra, (2009) 6 SCC 498, para 112 : (2009) 2

SCC (Cri) 1150] , followed by Sangeet v. State of

Haryana [Sangeet v. State of Haryana, (2013) 2 SCC
452 : (2013) 2 SCC (Cri) 611] , Mohd. Farooq AbduI
26

Ga fur v. State of Maharashtra [Mohd. Farooq Abdul

Ga fur v. State of Maharashtra, (2010) 14 SCC 641:

(2011) 3 SCC (Cri) 867], and more recently in
Chhannu Lal Verma v. State of Chhattisgarh

[Chhannu Lal Verma v. State of Chhattisgarh, (2019)
12 SCC 438 : (2019) 4 SCC (Cri) 402] (hereafter
"Chhannu Lal Verma'').

The death penalty framework and how to apply
it for "principled sentencing"

218. This Court in Bachan Singh [Bachan Singh v.

State of Punjab, (1980) 2 SCC 684 : 1980 SCC

(Cri) 580] while upholding the constitutionality of
capital punishment, categorically ruled that the

new CrPC of 1973 marked a shift as it
bifurcated the criminal trial to include a pre~

sentence hearing [under Section 235(2)], and
further mandated the sentencing court to outline

the "special reasons" [under Section 354(3)] or

absence of them, by considering circumstances
both of the crime and the criminal. The Court

also noted that while broad guidelines or

indicators may be given, they cannot be put into
water-tight compartments that curb discretion of

any Judge to do justice in a given individual
case: (SCC pp. 739 & 748, paras 163 & 201)
27

''163. ... Now, Section 235(2) provides for a

bifurcated trial and specifically gives the

accused person a right of pre-sentence hearing,
at which stage, he can bring on record material

Or evidence, Which may not be Strictly relevant

to or connected with the particular crime under

inquiry, but nevertheless, have, consistently with

the policy underlined in Section 354(3), a

bearing on the choice of sentence. The present
legislative policy discernible from Section 235(2)

read with Section 354(3) is that in fixing the

degree of punishment or making the choice of
sentence for various offences, including one
under Section 302 of the Penal Code, the court
should not confine its consideration "principally"

or merely to the circumstances connected with
the particular crime, but also give due

consideration to the circumstances of the
criminal.
***

201. ... As we read Sections 354(3) and 235(2) and other related provisions of the 1973 Code, it is quite clear to us that for making the choice of punishment or for ascertaining the existence or absence of "special reasons" in that context, the court must pay due regard both to the crime and the criminal. What is the relative weight to be given to the aggravating and mitigating factors, 28 depends on the facts and circumstances of the particular case. More often than not, these two aspects are so intertwined that it is difficult to give a separate treatment to each of them. This is so because "style is the man". In many cases, the extremely cruel or beastly manner of the commission of murder is itself a demonstrated index of the depraved character of the perpetrator. That is why, it is not desirable to consider the circumstances of the crime and the circumstances of the criminal in two separate watertight compartments. ln a sense, to kill is to be cruel and therefore all murders are cruel. But such cruelty may vary in its degree of culpability.

And it is only when the culpability assumes the proportion of extreme depravity that "special reasons" can legitimately be said to exist."

(Emphasis in original)"

placing reliance on the aforesaid J'udgment, learned counsel appearing for the appellant-accused submitted that the trial court has not even considered the possibility of reformation of the accused and that the case on hand does not fall under rarest of rare cases to impose capital punishment and the mitigating circumstances submitted by the authorities would suffice that capital punishment is not warranted in the case on hand. 29

19. By order dated 12-07-2023, this Court directed the Distrl-ct Collector, Prakasam District, the superintendent of police, Prakasam Distrl'ct, and the superintendent, central prison, Rajamahendravaram, to subml't their reports in terms of the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Mano/-and others (2nd st,Pro). Accordingly, reports are submitted by the authorities concerned. A perusal of the reports submitted by the authorities would go to show that wife of the accused discarded him and she has been residing elsewhere along with her minor daughter; that there is no previous involvement of the accused in criminal cases and that parents of the accused are eking out their livelihood by doing coolie works and they are residing with their elder daughter.

20. The Hon'ble Apex Court in Mano/- anc' others (2nd st,pro) held at paragraph Nos. 234 to 236 as follows:

"Theories of punishment

234. The 262nd Report speaks extensively to the PenOIOgiCal justification Of the death penalty. It f-IndS that there is inconclusive evidence that this form of punishment has more of a deterrent effect, in comparison to life imprisonment. Dismiss-Ing the retributive theory of Punishment On the ground that it suffers from lack of guidance on quantifying the punishment that would be appropriate to impose` it categorically states that~. 30 "7.1.2. Capital punishment fails to achieve any constitutionally valid penological goals. 7.1.3. Focusing on death penalty as the ultimate measure of justice to victims, the restorative and rehabilitative aspects of justice are lost sight of. Reliance on the death penalty diverts attention from other problems ailing the criminal justice system such as poor investigation, Crime Prevention and rights of victims of crime."

235. While the 262nd Report recommends abolition of the death penalty on this ground, in addition to sentencing having become Judge-centric or arbitrary, it has not prompted parliamentary intervention. whether the death penalty deserves a relook [as recommended by Kurian Joseph, J. (dissenting) in chhannu Lal Verma [Chhannu Lal Verma v. State of Chhattisgarh, (2019) 12 SCC 438 : (2019) 4 SCC (Cri) 402] I, in light of the 262nd Law Commission Report, evolving jurisprudence, public discourse and international standards of human rights, is outside the purview of this court's jurisdiction given the Constitution Bench decision in Bachan Singh [Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab, (1980) 2 SCC 684 :

1980 SCC (Cri) 580] , and a question best left for the legislature to critically consider. ln th-IS backdrop, What this Court can do, is try and bolster the existing sentencing framework. This is pass-Ible Only by giving true meaning to the existing guidelines (without falling into the trap of "categorizing" crimes that automatically I+-i 31 || warrant death penalty). To do so, this court finds it necessary to lay out certain practical guidelines (elaborated below) that can facilitate consideration of mitigating circumstances as recognized in Bachan Singh [Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab, (1980) 2 SCC 684 : 198O SCC (Cri) 580] , and consequently ensure uniform application of this framework.

236. The 262nd Report recognized the paradigm shift, in policy and discourse, towards a reformative and rehabilitative response to crime, and the development of jurisprudence such that adjudging a case to be "rarest of rare" was not sufficient, and special emphasis had to be placed in considering whether the offender is amenable to reform. Implicit in this shift is the understanding that the criminal is not a product of only their own decisions, but also a product of the state and society's failing, which is what entitles the accused to a chance of reformation. Thus, making life imprisonment the norm, and death penalty the exception. ln Lehna v.

State of Haryana [Lehna v. State of Haryana, (2002) 3 SCC 76 : 2002 SCC (Cri) 526] while deciding whether the facts in that case were appropriate for death Penalty, traced this Shift in approach : (SCC pp. 83-84, para 14) "14. ... Section 302IPC prescribes death or life imprisonment as the penalty for murder. While doing so, the Code instructs the court as to its application. The changes which the Code has undergone in the last 32 three decades clearly indicate that Parliament is taking note of contemporary criminological thought and movement. lt is not difficult to discern that in the Code, there is a definite swing towards life imprisonment.

Death sentence is ordinarily ruled out and can only be imposed for "special reasons", as provided in Section 354(3). There is another provision in the Code which also uses the significant expression "special reason''. lt is Section 361. Section 360 of the 1973 Code re-enacts, in substance, Section 562 of the Criminal Procedure Code,1898 (in short 'lthe old Code"). Section 361 which is a new provision in the Code makes it mandatory for the coLIrt tO record "special reasons" for not applying the provisions of Section 360. Section 361 thus casts a duty LIPOn the COuri tO apply the provisions of Section 360 wherever it is possible to do so and to state "special reasons" if it does not do so. In the context of Section 360, the "special reasons" contemplated by Sect-Ion 361 must be such as to compel the court to hold that it is impossible to reform and rehabilitate the offender after examining the matter with due regard to the age, character and antecedents of the offender and the circumstances in which the offence was committed. This is some indication by the legislature that reformation and rehabilitation of offenders and not mere deterrence, are now among the foremost objects of the administration of criminal justice in our country. Section 361 and Section 354(3) have both entered the statute Effi 33 book at the same time and they are part of the emerging picture of acceptance by the legislature of the new trends in criminology. lt would not, therefore, be wrong to assume that the personality of the offender as revealed by his age, character, antecedents and other circumstances and the tractability of the offender to reform must necessarily play the most prominent role in determining the sentence to be awarded. special reasons must have some relation to these factors. Criminal justice deals with complex human problems and diverse human beings. A Judge has to balance the Personality of the offender with the circumstances, situations and the reactions and choose the appropriate Sentence tO be imposed."

(Emphasis supplied)"

ln view of the principle laid down in the aforesaid judgment, with an advent of goal,of reformation in the recent past, the society must stride towards reformation and rehabilitation.

21. ln Sunder @ Sundarrajan vs. state by Inspector of Po/,-ce3,4 the Hon'ble Apex Court held thus: (paragraphs 63, 64 &

76) "63. In Santa S-Ingh V State of Punjab (1976) 4 SCC 190, a two judge Bench of this Court highlighted the requirement of having a separate sentencing hearing 3 2023 LiveLaw (SC) 217 34 in view of Section 235(2) of the CrPC and noted that the stage of sentencing was as important a stage in the process of administering criminal justice as the adjudication of guilt.

64. The judgment of the majority in the constitution Bench decision in Bachan singh v state of Punjab (1980) 2 SCC 684 reiterated the ®lmportance of a sentencing hearing. The Court noted that:

"151. Section 354(3) of the CrPC,1973, marks a significant shift in the legislative policy underlying the Code of 1898, as in force immediately before Apr-II 1, 1974, according to which both the alternative sentences of death or imprisonment for life provided for murder and for certain other capital offences under the penal code, were normal sentences. Now according to this changed legislative policy which is patent on the face of Section 354(3), the normal punishment for murder and six other capital offences under the penal Code, is -Imprisonment for life (or imprisonment for a term of years) and death penalty is an exception. /.../

152. ln the context, we may also notice section 235(2) of the Code of 1973, because it makes not only expl-lcit, what according to the decision in Jagmohan's case was implicit -In the scheme of the Code, but also bifurcates the trial by providing 35 .`\ for two hearings, one at the pre-conviction stage and another at the pre-sentence stage.

/.../

163. [...] Now, Section 235(2) provides for a bifurcated trial and specifically gives the accused Person a right of pre-sentence hearing, at which stage, he can bring on record material or evidence, which may not be strictly relevant to or connected with the particular crime under inquiry, but nevertheless, have, consistently with the policy underlined in Section 354(3) a bearing on the choice of sentence. The present legislative policy discernible from Section 235(2) read with section 354(3) is that 'In fix-Ing the degree of punishment or making the choice of sentence for various offences, including one under section 302, Penal Code, the court should not confine its consideration "principally" or merely to the circIJmStanCeS connected With Particular Crime, but also give due consideration to the circumstances of the criminal."

(Emphasis supplied).

76. In Rajendra pralhadrao wasnik v state of Maharashtra (2019) 12 SCC 460, a three judge bench of this court `took note of the line of cases of this court which underline the importance of considering the Probability of reform and rehabilitation of the convicted 36 accused before sentencing him to death. The court observed:

"43. At this stage, we must hark back to Bachan Singh and differentiate between possibility, probability and impossibility of reform and rehabilitation. Bachan Singh requires us to consider the probability of reform and rehabilitation and not its possibility or its impossibility. [. . .I

45. The law laid down by various decisions of this Court clearly and unequivocally mandates that the Probability (not possibil'Ity Or improbability or impossibility) that a convict can be reformed and rehabilitated in society must be seriously and earnestly considered by the courts before award-Ing the death sentence. This is one of the mandates of the "special reasons" requirement of Section 354(3) Cr.P.C. and ought not to be taken lightly since it involves snuffing out the life of a Person. To effectuate this mandate, it is the obligation on the prosecution to prove to the court, through evidence, that the probability is that the convict cannot be reformed or rehabilitated. This can be achieved by bringing on record, inter alia, material about his conduct in jail, his conduct outside jail if he has been on bail for some time, medical evidence about his mental make-up, contact with his family and so on. similarly, the

-Sl.I 37 convict can produce evidence on these issues as well.

46. lf an inquiry of this nature is to be conducted, as is mandated by the decisions of this court, it is quite obvious that the period between the date of conviction and the date of awarding sentence would be quite prolonged to enable the parties to gather and lead evidence which could assist the trial court in taking an informed decision on the sentence. But, there is no hurry in this regard, since in any case the convict will be in custody for a fairly long time serving out at least a life sentence.

47. Consideration of the reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of the convict into society cannot be overemphasized. until Bachan singh, the emphasis given by the courts was primarily on the nature of the crime, its brutality and severity. Bachan singh placed the sentencing process into Perspective and introduced the necessity of considering the reformation or rehabilitat-ion Of the convict. Despite the view expressed by the Constitution Bench, there have been several instances, some of which have been pointed out in Bariyar and in sangeet v. state of Haryana where there is a tendency to give primacy to the crime and consider the criminal in a somewhat secondary manner. As observed in sangeet "ln the 38 sentencing process, both the crime and the criminal are equally important." Therefore, we should not forget that the criminal, however ruthless he might be, -IS nevertheless a human being and is entitled to a life of dignity notwithstanding his crime. Therefore, it is for the prosecution and the courts to determine whether such a person, notwithstanding his crime, can be reformed and rehabilitated. To obtain and analyze this information is certainly not an easy task but must nevertheless be undertaken. The process of rehabilitation is also not a simple one since it involves social reintegration of the convict into society. of course, notwithstanding any information made available and its analysis by experts coupled with the evidence on record, there could be instances where the social reintegration of the convict may not be possible. If that should happen, the option of a long duration of imprisonment is permissible.

(Emphasis supplied)"

The Hon'ble Apex Court observed that the process of rehabilitation is not a simple one since it involves social reintegration of the convict into society.

22. Criminal Justice System is more punitive than intended.

The system is touted to be reformable and rehabilitative. The objectives of the Indian Criminal Justice System include penalizing, reforming and rehabilitating the offender. Reformation 39 is its final goal as the system asserts to be more rehabilI'tatiVe than retributI'Ve.

23. When such is the viewtaken by the Hon'bleApex Court in the recent past and havI'ng regard to the mitigating circumstances stated sup,-a, this court is of the view that death sentence imposed on the accused is harsh in the facts and circumstances of the present case.

24. For the aforementioned reasons, the death sentence imposed on the accused under two counts ,I.e. for the offence under section 302 lPC and Section 6 read with section 5 (I) (m)

(r) of 2012 Act is modified, instead the accused I-S Sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for a period of 20 years without any reprieve Or remission and also to pay a fine of Rs.500/-, in default to suffer simple imprisonment for a perI-Od Of three months, under each count ,'.e. under section 302 lPC and Section 6 read wl-th Section 5 (I) (m) (r) of 2012 Act. The convI®Ctl-On and sentence recorded for the offences under sections 201, 342, 366 and 376-AB Ipa shall remain una!tered. All the substantive sentences are directed to run concurrently. Sentence of l'mprI®SOnmemt already undergone by the appellant-accused shall be given set off under section 428 Cr.P.C.

25. With the above modification in sentence, the criminal appeal is partly allowed and the reference is answered accordingly. Pending miscellaneous applications, if any, shall stand disposed of in consequence.

SD/-S.V.S.R.MURTHY JOINT REGISTRAR //TRUE COPY// s E Cfil:I-k~6~F~F I C E R One fair copy to the Honourable SRI JUSTICE K.SURESH REDDY (for His Lordships' kind perusal) One fair copy to the Honourable SRI JUSTICE K.SREENIVASA REDDY (for His Lordships' kind perusal) To,

1. The ll Additional District and Sessions Court, Ongole, FAG Judge - Gum - Special Court for Speedy trial of Offences under Protection of Children from Sexual offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), Ongole, Prakasam District- (with records) + (one duplicate for communication to the prisoner)

2. The Director General of Police of Andhra Pradesh, DGP Office at Mangalgiri, Guntur Dl-stric't

3. The Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Durgapuram, SN Puram, Vijayawada, Krishna District

4. The Superintendent, Central Prison, Rajamahendravaram, East Godavari District - By Speed Post

5. The Secretary, Home D.epartment, AP Secretariat, Velagapudi, Amaravathi, Guntur District

6. The District Collector, Ongole Prakasam District

7. The Superintendent of Police, Ongole, Prakasam District

8. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Disha Manila Police Station, Ongole, Prakasam District

9. The Station House Officer, Giddalur Police Station, Prakasam District

10. One CC to Sri I.V.N Raju, Advocate [OPUC] ll. Two CCs to the Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravathi [OUT]

12. The Section Officer, Criminal section, High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati

13. Nine (09) L.R copies

14. The Under Secretary, Union of India, Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, New Delhi ''-I

15. The Secretary, Andhra Pradesh High Court Advocates Association Library, High Court Buildings at Amaravathi

16. Three CD CopI-eS Stu Sree \ HIGH COURT DATED:23/10/2024 COMIV]ON JUDGMENT I RT.No.1 of 2023 & CRLA No.191 of 2O23 PARTLY ALLOWING THE CRIMINAL APPEAL ANSWERING THE REFERENCE

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