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2. The marriage between A-4 and Smt. Venkata Ramana was solemnised some time in 1990 and since then she was residing at her matrimonial home. A-4 was working as a coolie in a steel company and had constructed a thatched hut at Tenali. The hut of parents of Smt. Venkata Ramana was situated at a short distance from the hut of A-4 at Tenali. A-2 and A-3 after their marriage had come to stay with A-1. It was not liked by Smt. Venkata Ramana and, therefore, she was instigating A-4 to live separately or A-2 and A-3 should be asked to leave the hut. It is the prosecution case that A-2 and A-3 were residing in a separate portion in the same hut. It is then alleged by the prosecution that there used to be frequent quarrels between Smt. Venkata Ramana on one side and A-1 to A-4 on the other as Smt. Venkata Ramana was insisting that she should stay along with her husband separately. A-1 to A-4 were not prepared to concede to her demand and as a result thereof, they meted out ill treatment to Smt. Venkata Ramana. It has come on record that Smt. Venkata Ramana on the earlier occasion tried to commit suicide, but, however, failed in her attempt.

3. The incident in question which gave rise to the present prosecution occurred on March 4, 1994 at about 12.30 noon. It is alleged by the prosecution that when Smt. Venkata Ramana was in her hut, A-2 and A-3 came there and picked up a quarrel with Smt. Venkata Ramana. A-2 and A-3 then at the instigation of A-1, poured kerosene on Smt. Venkata Ramana and thereafter they threw a lighted matchstick on her. Within a short time, the clothes of Smt. Venkata Ramana caught fire. A-3 then poured the water and tried to extinguish the fire. The injured was then taken to the government hospital at Tenali where Dr. K. Vishnupriya Devi ( PW 10) examined her and found to be in a serious condition. She sent a requisition to K.Lakshmana Rao (PW

13), the Addl. Munsiff Magistrate, Tenali, for recording the dying declaration. K.Lakshamana Rao (PW 13) reached the hospital at about 2.30 p.m. and recorded the dying declaration (Ex.P-14). The injured was then shifted to Guntur Medical College, Guntur, for further treatment. The injured succumbed to her injuries on March 9, 1994 in the hospital. Vaitheru Sambaiah (PW 2)-the father of Smt. Venkata Ramana, lodged the first information report at Tenali police station as regards the incident and on the basis thereof, a crime came to be registered for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 307 read with Section 34 IPC. After receipt of the information about the death of injured, offence punishable under Section 307 IPC read with Section 34 IPC came to be altered to one under Section 302/114 and 498-A IPC. After completing the investigation, charge sheet came to be filed against all the four accused for the offences punishable under Sections 498-A, 302, 302/114 IPC. The trial court framed the charges against all the four accused, but they denied all these charges. According to them, they are innocent and have been falsely implicated in the present crime.

6. The original dying declaration of Smt. Venkata Ramana was recorded in vernacular (Telugu) and during the course of hearing, an admitted translation thereof was produced before us. Since the conviction and sentence is solely based upon the dying declaration, we deem it proper to reproduce the same:- DYING DECLARATION Declaration of Paparabaka Venkata Ramana, W/o Srinu, Ravinder Nagar, resident of Tenali village, Taluk-District recorded by me in the presence of Duty Doctor Sri Dr. Vishnu Priya of Government Hospital, Tenali.