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At this stage, it may be noted that D1 is the father of D2 and A1 to A6 are all closely related. A2 is the father and A4 is the mother of A1, A3 (sons) and A5 (daughter). A6 is the daughter of A4s sister.
Salient points emerging from the evidence may now be noted. P.W.1 is the nephew of D1. He stated that D1 was his fathers brother and D2 and P.W.8 were the sons of D1. He said that after completion of his degree course, he attended to agricultural works. D1s daughter, Venkamma, worked as a coolie and her daughter was Nagamma. D2 was brought up by Venkamma and the family members decided to perform the marriage of Nagamma with D2. Venkamma met the expenditure relating to D2 with the view that his marriage should be performed with her daughter. The house of the accused was very near the house of D1 and D2 and D2 fell in love with A5. In the year 2002, a panchayat was held with reference to their love affair and the elders performed their marriage in a temple at Nemali Village but none of the family members of D1 attended the marriage of D2 with A5. After their marriage, D2 lived with A5 at his in-laws house and he lived there happily for some time. As his education was not completed, D2 requested A2 to advance him some money. A2 refused and sent D2 away from his house. D2 then went to the house of his father, D1. A5 lodged a complaint against D1, D2 and four others under Section 498A IPC with the Station House Officer, Kalluru Police Station. Coming to the fateful day, 28.02.2007, P.W.1 stated that while he was going to the tailor, P.W.8, to bring his new clothes at 10.00 AM, he witnessed a galata at a distance of ten yards in front of the house of D1 and D2 and he saw D1, D2 and A1 to A5 and a relative of the accused, Vijaya (A6). He said that the accused and D1 and D2 quarreled. A1 to A5 were stated to have entered into the house of D1 and D2, armed with chilly powder, axes, a crowbar (gaddapara), a toddy-tapper knife (geethakathi) and a stick. He said that Vijaya (A6) sprinkled chilly powder in the eyes of D1 and D2, that A1 hacked D1 on the head with an axe and A5 hit the forehead of D1 with a crowbar and as a result of the injuries, D1 fell down and when D2 tried to abscond from the scene of the offence, A2 hacked him on the head with an axe and A2 also hacked D2 on the right leg. He said that A4 hacked D2 with a toddy-tapper knife on the face and as a result of these injuries, D2 fell down. He said that A3 hit D2 on the head with a stick when he fell down and A1 to A5 murdered D1 and D2 in the said manner. He said that they raised their arms and proclaimed that they would kill if anyone interfered. P.W.1 said that the villagers also witnessed the murders of D1 and D2 and in the meanwhile, P.W.8, the other son of D1, came to the scene of the offence and A1 and A2 attacked him and he received two injuries and fled from the scene. He said that after attacking P.W.8 and after raising cries, armed with their respective weapons, the accused fled from the village towards Venkatapuram. P.W.1 said that as he witnessed the same, he presented a complaint to the police (Ex.P1). He said that he himself scribed Ex.P1 and signed on it. In his cross-examination, P.W.1 stated that P.W.2 was the daughter-in-law of D1, while P.W.3 was his own brother. He denied that P.W.4 was the brother of D2 by courtesy and that D1 was his fathers brother. He said that D1s eldest son was Venkatakrishna (L.W.6), whose son was P.W.5, and P.W.8 was the second son of D1. He denied that his house was at a distance of half a kilometer from the house of D1 and D2. He added that the distance was 300 metres. He said that dwelling houses, 300 in number, were located between his house and D1s house. He denied that his house was located in old Venkatapuram, while D1s house was in new Venkatapuram. He said that he did not know whether D1 and A1 to A5 belonged to CPI (M). He denied that he served as a worker of CPI (M). He denied that he and A1 to A5 worked for CPI (M) and relinquished their membership three years ago. He said that D2 served as a teacher in Chinakorukondi Village before his death. He denied that D2 discontinued his employment as a teacher. He denied that D2 had misbehaved with female students and was therefore removed from service. He said that A5 and D2 fell in love but he did not know whether A5 had conceived and was in the fourth month of pregnancy with D2s child. He said that he did not know whether A5, with four months pregnancy, got married to D2 in Nemali temple. He denied that D1 and D2 had harassed A5 to bring dowry and that she was necked out from the house, whereupon she gave a complaint to the Station House Officer, Kalluru, on 07.08.2003. He admitted that D2 figured as the accused in Crime No.46 of 2003 and Mareedu Venkatakrishna (L.W.6) and Mareedu Tulasamma, the wife of D1, also figured as accused therein. He denied that D1 and D2 and their relatives harassed A5 to give a divorce to D2. He denied that at 10.00 AM, when A5 was at the drinking well, D1 and D2 along with P.W.8 outraged her modesty, forcing her to accept for a divorce and they tore her blouse and tried to remove her saree. He denied that when A1 to A4 interfered so as to rescue A5, D1, D2 and P.W.8 attacked them and that 50 or 60 persons intervened when D1 and D2 attacked A1 and A2. He denied that the villagers advised A1 to give a complaint to the police. He denied that the villagers attacked D1 and D2 and not the accused. He denied that P.Raja Ram and his followers and the aggrieved villagers, whose daughters modesty was outraged by D1 and D2, attacked D1 and D2. He denied that taking advantage of A5s love affair, a false case was foisted against A1 to A5. He denied that when A5 was with four months pregnancy, D2 took her to Tiruvur on the pretext that she was suffering from fever and got her pregnancy aborted. He said that D2 and A5 were minors and may have approached Vanaja doctor at Tiruvur and Dr.Vanaja might have aborted the pregnancy of A5. He denied that under the influence of the MLA and his son, Ex.P1 was brought into existence and a case was registered though A5 had presented a complaint earlier but the same was registered later in Crime No.25 of 2007 under Section 354 IPC. He denied the suggestion that he had not witnessed the incident and that he did not go to the tailor at the time of the galata. He denied the suggestion that he purchased readymade garments and did not wear stitched garments. He denied that P.W.8 was a ladies tailor. He denied the suggestion that the MLAs son got Ex.P1 executed and he himself presented it to the Station House Officer, Kalluru Police Station. He admitted that he had not mentioned the weapons used by the accused in Ex.P1. He added that due to fear, he failed to mention them. He also admitted that he had not stated their independent overt acts in Ex.P1. He stated that he gave evidence against Vijaya (A6) in C.C.No.249 of 2007. Upon being recalled for further examination, P.W.1 stated that he had deposed in C.C.No.249 of 2007 as P.W.1. He denied that he had stated in the said case that all the accused were armed with chilly powder. He admitted that he had stated in the said case that A4 was armed with a toddy-tapper knife (geethakathi) and caused injuries to D1 and that A3 beat P.W.1 with a stick. He stated that he had deposed in C.C.No.249 of 2007 that A1 beat D2 on his left leg with the toddy-tapper knife and caused bleeding injuries. He admitted that he also stated that A5 beat D2 on his thigh and all over the body with sticks and many people witnessed the same and that A5 had caused injuries to P.W.8 with a crowbar. He said that he did not depose that he came to the scene of the offence and telephone the neighbouring doctor to verify whether the injured were alive or dead. He said that he stated in C.C.No.249 of 2007 that he drafted ExP1 in the Police Station. He said that the accuseds family owns 6 acres of land but added that he did not know how much land was owned by them. He said that he did not know whether the accused owned 6 acres and leased out an extent of Ac.1.50 cents. He said that his brothers name was Venkateswarlu and that his brothers land abutted the lands of the accused. He again stated that his brothers land was not abutting the lands of the accused. He denied that he was deposing falsely though his brothers lands were abutting the lands of the accused. He denied the suggestion that they had set fire to the house of the accused at Thalluru. He denied the suggestion that in the absence of the accused, they sold away three cows worth Rs.60,000/- and a she-

buffalo worth Rs.30,000/-. He denied the suggestion that D1 and D2 beat all the accused and as a result of the bleeding injuries, they were admitted in Penuballi Hospital and A4 was admitted in the Government Hospital as she sustained a head injury. He denied that he was deposing falsely to grab the property of the accused.

P.W.2 is the daughter-in-law of D1 and sister-in-law of D2. She is the wife of Mareedu Venkatakrishna (L.W.6). She said that D1 had four sons and one daughter and D2 was the fourth son. She said that D2 lived at the house of D1 and did his degree course. D1s daughter, Venkamma, helped D2 in his studies. Nagamma was the daughter of Venkamma. The family members of D1 decided to perform the marriage of D2 with Nagamma and as such, Venkamma helped D2 in his studies. She said that A1 to A5 lived in the house abutting the house of D1, and D2 fell in love with A5. A panchayat was held and at the intervention of elders, D2 got married with A5 but his family members did not attend the marriage. She said that thereafter, D2 lived in the house of A5. D2 and A5 lived happily for two days. She said that D2 demanded money from A1 and A4 but they failed to advance money and sent D2 back to his parents house and as such, D2 started living with his parents. She said that A5 lodged a complaint under Section 498A IPC against D1 and D2 and their family members. She said that two or three houses intervened between her house and D2s house. On the date of the incident, she said that she was going along with she-buffalos to graze them. A1 to A5 were stated to have attacked D1 in front of D1s house on the road. A1 hacked D1 on the back with an axe and he fell down and when D2 tried to abscond from the scene, Vijaya (A6) sprinkled chilly powder on him and A1 to A4 caused injuries with an axe and a crowbar. She said that A1 to A4 were armed with weapons and hacked D1 and D2 indiscriminately and they died instantaneously due to the injuries. She said that D2 died at a short distance from D1. When P.W.8 interfered, the accused also caused injuries to him and he sustained injuries on his head and his left palm. She said that A1 to A5 raised cries, armed with their weapons, and fled towards Venkatapuram. She said that she also hid due to fear as A1 to A5 proclaimed that they would kill anyone who interfered. She said that the accused influenced D1 and D2 to admit that they had committed an offence under Section 498A IPC and the accused also demanded for a divorce and if D2 failed to give a divorce, A1 to A5 proclaimed that they would kill D1 and D2. In her cross-examination, P.W.2 stated that P.W.1 and P.W.8 were her brothers-in-law. She said that her husband, Mareedu Venkatakrishna (L.W.6), figured as an accused in C.C.No.1924 of 2003 on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Sathupalli, under Section 498A IPC, registered by Kalluru Police on the complaint of A5. She admitted that she deposed in C.C.No.249 of 2007 that D1 asked her to take she-buffalos and she was taking them for grazing. She admitted that she deposed in C.C.No.249 of 2007 that the crowbar was meant to tie the buffalos and belonged to D1. She admitted that she did not state their independent overt acts as she was not asked by the prosecutor. She admitted that Vishnu, son of the deceased, was the Vice President of CPM party. She denied that she and her family members belonged to CPIM party. She denied the suggestion that D1, D2 and Srinivasa Raju tried to outrage the modesty of A5 in front of her house and that the villagers intervened and beat up D1 and D2 and they had foisted a false case against her. She denied knowledge of A5 being in the fourth month of pregnancy when her marriage was performed with D2 in a temple at Nemali. She denied knowledge of D2 taking A5 to Vanaja Hospital, Tiruvur, and getting her pregnancy aborted. She denied that she and other family members demanded A5 to bring additional dowry and necked her out from the house. She denied that D1, D2 and Srinivasa Rao went to the house of A5 and demanded that she should give a divorce to D2 and that they beat her. She said that the accused were threatening her. She said that she did not know whether the house of the accused was set on fire along with their agricultural crops. She denied the suggestion that she was not an eye-witness to the murders of D1 and D2.

P.W.4 stated that he was an agriculturist residing at Thalluru. He said that D1 and D2 were murdered about three years back and that he knew A1 to A5. He said that during morning time on the fateful day, while he was at his house, he heard cries from outside and came out immediately. He said that he saw that the villagers were hacking and rushed there. He said that he saw the incident from a distance of 100 yards. He said that A2 was armed with an axe and hacked on the back side of D1 and A1 was armed with an axe and hit on the left cheek of D1 and as a result of these injuries, D1 fell down. He said that A1 was armed with an axe and hacked D2 on the forehead and A2 also hacked on the back side of the head of D2. He said that A4 hit D1 on the left side of the forehead with a toddy- tapper knife and when P.W.8 interfered, A3 hit him on the hand with a stick and after receiving the said injury, P.W.8 ran away from that place and the accused also fled from the place with their arms. He said that they proclaimed that they would hack if anybody interfered. He said that when he cried aloud, P.W.1, P.W.2 and P.W.3 also came there and witnessed the offence. He said that there was a love affair between A5 and D2 and that was the motive for the offence. In his cross-examination, P.W.4 stated that his younger brother had contested on behalf of CPIM for the post of Ward Councilor but was defeated. He denied the suggestion that he had not witnessed the attack, causing injuries to D1 and D2. He denied the suggestion that he had not stated to the police the independent overt acts of the accused with reference to D1. He denied the suggestion that he had not stated to the police that A1 and A2 attacked D1 with axes. He said that he also deposed in C.C.No.249 of 2007 but denied the suggestion that he had not stated that the accused had caused injuries to D1. He said that P.W.1 was his brother by courtesy as D1 was his paternal uncle by courtesy and D2 was his younger brother by courtesy and P.W.2 was his sister-in-law by courtesy and P.W.3 was also his brother by courtesy. He admitted that he had not stated in C.C.No.249 of 2007 that P.W.3 was his brother and that P.W.1s family and his family were related. He said that he saw ten persons at the scene of the offence and denied the suggestion that fifty persons witnessed the incident. He admitted that he had stated in C.C.No.249 of 2007 that A1 hit on the back side head of D1 with a pestle. He denied the suggestion that D1, D2 and Srinivas went to the house of A5 and tried to undress her and outrage her modesty, whereupon villagers attacked them. He denied the suggestion that the attackers of D1 and D2 were CPM party workers and that a false case was foisted against A1 to A5 taking advantage of the enmity owing to the love affair between D2 and A5. He denied the suggestion that A1 to A5 earlier belonged to CPM but left the party later and therefore CPM leaders bore a grudge and foisted a case upon them.

P.W.8 stated that D1 was his father and D2 was his brother. He said that on 28.02.2007 while he was stitching clothes in his house and D1 and D2 were releasing cattle for grazing, A1 to A5 and Vijaya (A6), armed with weapons and chilly powder, came there and they sprinkled chilly powder upon his father and A1 hacked his father on the head, A5 hit on D1s forehead with a crowbar and as a result of the injuries, his father fell down and when his brother D2 tried to abscond from the scene, A1 hacked on his right cheek and A2 hacked him on the back side of the head and on the right leg, A3 hit D2 with his stick on his right thigh. P.W.8 stated that he cried out aloud and A5 hit him on the right hand with a crowbar and A3 hit him on the right hand fingers and also on his head and due to fear, he ran away from the place. He said that P.W.1, P.W.2, P.W.3, P.W.4, P.W.5 and Anabothu Seethamma (L.W.10) also came to the scene raising cries. He said that the accused proclaimed that if anybody interfered, they would kill them and, raising their weapons, they went towards Venkatapuram. The weapons with which they were armed at the time of the offence were identified as M.Os.1 to 5. M.Os.1 and 2 are axes, M.O.3 is a stick, M.O.4 is a geethakathi and M.O.5 is a crowbar. In his cross-examination, P.W.8 denied the suggestion that A3 sustained injuries in a road accident and that his body was paralyzed from the waist down. He admitted that D2 had fallen in love with A5 and she conceived and thereafter, their marriage was performed in a temple at Nemali. He denied the suggestion that he, D1 and D2 forcibly got aborted A5s pregnancy with a doctor at Vanaja Hospital, Thiruvur. He denied the suggestion that he, along with D1 and D2, tarnished the image of A5 and also harassed her for dowry. He denied the suggestion that he, along with D1 and D2, harassed A5 for additional dowry and she filed C.C.No.1924 of 2003 on the file of the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Sathupalli, under Section 498A IPC along with Sections 3 & 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1986. He denied the suggestion that he, along with D.1 and D2, went to the house of A5 and they outraged her modesty by tearing her blouse and tried to commit rape upon her and that when she raised cries, he along with D1 and D2 beat her and that she filed a complaint with the Police. He denied that the FIR disclosed that he along with D1 and D2 tried to outrage the modesty of A5 and that D2 beat her with a crowbar on her right hand, while he and D1 tried to hack her with an axe and in the mean time, A5s father, mother and brother interfered and he along with D1 and D2 caused injuries to the parents of A5 and villagers attacked them and as a result of the injuries inflicted by the villagers, D1 and D2 died and he also suffered injuries. He admitted that he belonged to CPM and the accused also belonged to CPM. He denied the suggestion that they did not belong to CPM. He denied the suggestion that CPM party workers beat him along with D1 and D2. He denied the suggestion that he and his family members set fire to the house of the accused. He denied the suggestion that to grab the property of the accused, they foisted a false case. He admitted that the accused were agriculturists and not toddy tappers. He denied the suggestion that he had not witnessed the offence and was deposing falsely. He denied the suggestion that upon the influence of elders, they foisted a false case against the accused.