APHC010618812018 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3566] WEDNESDAY,THE TWENTY EIGHTH DAY OF JANUARY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE K SURESH REDDY THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE A. HARI HARANADHA SARMA CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: 2376/2018 Between: PATAPANCHALA MAHA LAKSHMAIAN @ MAHALATCHAIAH, OCC. COOLI, R/O.VEDADARI VILLAGE, JAGGAIAHPET (M), KRISHNA DIST. ...APELLANT AND THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Through S.H.O., Chillakallu Police Station, West Godavari Dist. rep. by Public Prosecutor, High Court, Hyderabad ...RESPODENT Counsel for the Appellant: 1.GOLLA GOPAL KRISHNA 2.- Counsel for the Respondent: 1.PUBLIC PROSECUTOR (AP) 2 Crl.A.No.2376 of 2018 The Court made the following JUDGMENT :- (Per the Hon’ble Sri Justice K.Suresh Reddy) Questioning the conviction and sentence passed by the learned XVI Additional District and Sessions Judge, Nandigama, Krishna District, dated 09.04.2018 in S.C.No.215 of 2016, the sole accused filed the present Criminal Appeal under Section 374(2) of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. 2. On 20.01.2026, when the appeal was listed for hearing, learned counsel for the appellant submitted that after the grant of bail and during the pendency of the present Appeal the appellant died by committing suicide on 09.01.2026 at his residence. In view of the said submission, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor sought time to verify the said fact. 3. Today, when the matter is taken up, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor has confirmed the death of the sole appellant and has also produced a copy of the appellant’s death certificate furnished by the concerned Station House Officer. 4. In that view of the matter and in view of the death of the sole appellant, the Criminal Appeal is liable to be dismissed as abated. 5. Accordingly, the Criminal Appeal is dismissed as “abated”. Consequently, miscellaneous petitions, if any, pending shall stand closed. JUSTICE K.SURESH REDDY __________________________________ JUSTICE A.HARI HARANADHA SARMA Dt. 28.01.2026 SAB 3 Crl.A.No.2376 of 2018 7 THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE K.SURESH REDDY AND THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE A. HARI HARANADHA SARMA Criminal Appeal No.2376 of 2018 (Per Hon’ble Sri Justice K.Suresh Reddy) Date: 28.01.2026 SAB