IPC Section 302, Accomplice, or Not?

I still remember this question from the 2020 Judicial Services exam. It went something like this - A murders B in a pre-planned manner. During the investigation, C is caught and confesses to being an accomplice, but later claims he was just a pawn in A's game. He says A threatened him and his family to do the deed. Now, the question - Can C be convicted under IPC Section 302 along with A? I thought this was a classic 'bhaiya-bhaiya' situation, but the correct answer was no. Here's why - C's role may be one of abetment, but not that of a conspirator. The correct approach is to carefully analyze each individual's role and intentions. We need to understand when a person can be considered an accomplice versus an abettor.