gone to watch TV. It would be rather imprudent to hold that the appellant had not visited the house of Venkavva Patil (PW-5) and Ajit Patil (PW-6) on 28th December 2010 at 6.30 p.m., when R was also present, and that the appellant had left taking R with him. 11. It would be apposite to pay minute attention to the testimonies of Yallappagouda Kagadal (PW-7), Bhimappa Talawar (PW-8), Gadigeppa Talawar (PW-9) and Hanamappa Talawar (PW-10). These villagers again had no reason to suspect that the appellant, who was carrying a child on his shoulder, was guilty of a criminal act of rape and murder or that he was carrying a gunny bag on his shoulder for the purpose of dumping the victim’s body in the stream. This is understandable from the statement of Yallappagouda Kagadal (PW-7) according to which he assumed that the appellant was taking the girl to her home. The situation changed rapidly thereafter, as is duly reflected in the statement made by Sanganabasappa (PW-1) on the intervening night of 31st December 2010 and 1st January 2011 wherein he has cast suspicion on the appellant. The statement reflects the anger of people in a rural environment as faith had given way to disbelief. By that time, villagers had not been able to locate R who was last seen with the appellant, who in turn had been spotted carrying a child and a gunny bag, and therefore, they suspected that R had Criminal Appeal Nos. 1473-1474 of 2017 Page 11 of 30