17 awarded life imprisonment, 14 get 10-yr jail for rioting

A court in Biora town near here has sentenced 17 people to life imprisonment in connection with the death of a person during a group clash in 2007.
The court also sentenced 14 people of the rival group to 10 years' imprisonment for indulging in the violent clash that resulted in the death of a man.
The two sentences were awarded by First Additional Sessions Judge Samroz Khan yesterday to the people from the two groups for indulging in a violent clash over a local poll related issue in which Ramprasad Dangi was shot dead, Additional Public Prosecutor Dinesh Sahu said today.

The clash took place on September 4, 2007, between the two rival groups at Mandir Chowk area of Khajuria village in the district over a poll-related matter, he said.
Police booked 37 people of one group after the clash.Four of them passed away during the trial.
The court awarded life imprisonment to 17 of the accused and also slapped a fine of Rs 15,500 each on them and acquitted the others.

It also registered cases against 40 people of the rival group, of whom one died during the trial.
Out of the 40, the court awarded 10-year imprisonment to 14 people along with a fine of Rs 9,000 each while the others were acquitted.

The sentences were awarded under various sections of the IPC, including 302 (murder), 147 (rioting), 148, 149 (unlawful assembly) and 307 (attempt to murder), Sahu said.