Bhubaneswar: A fast track court in Orissa Wednesday sentenced six people to three years imprisonment for torching the house of a villager in Kandhamal last year, an official said.
"Six people have been convicted in the Kandhamal riot case. Each of them has been awarded three year jail term," public prosecutor P.K. Patra said.
"The convicted were accused of torching the house of Duryodhan Digal of Kuru Patia village in Kandhamal on Aug 25 last year. Digal had taken a bank loan to built his house," he added.
The judgement was pronounced by Fast Track Court-II judge Chitta Ranjan Das.
Kandhamal district, about 200 km from here, witnessed widespread violence after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23, 2008.
More than 25,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes after they were attacked by mobs, which held Christians responsible for Saraswati's killing, although police blamed the Maoists.
The government had set up two fast track courts to try cases related to the communal violence.
IANS
First Published: Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 13:50