12 sentenced to 4-year jail term in Kandhamal riot cases

A Fast Track Court here sentenced twelve persons to four years of rigorous imprisonment today in a case of arson during last year's riots in Orissa's Kandhamal district.

Fast Track Court-II Judge Sovan Kumar Das while pronouncing the judgement, also slapped them with a fine of Rs2,000 each for the torching of houses and shops at Sirtiguda village under Nuagaon police station area on September 13 last year.

Kandhamal district had witnessed riots in the aftermath of the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati.

With today's conviction, a total of 47 persons have been convicted in 31 cases related to the rioting.