A Bihar court today sentenced three persons to death and 20 others to life imprisonment in connection with the kiling of 21 Dalits at Bathani Tola in Bhojpur district in 1996.

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Additional District and Sessions Judge AK Srivastava announced the quantum of punishment today.

On May 5 the court had found the accused guilty of killing the dalits at Bathani Tola under Sahar block of Bhojpur district on July 11, 1996, by suspected activists of Ranvir Sena, a private militia of land owners.

The court had earlier acquitted 30 others named in the case for want of sufficient evidence.

Around 70 Sena men had raided the village and killed 21 dalits, mostly women and children.

Those who were awarded death sentence are Manoj Singh, Ajay Singh and Narendra Singh.

Others who were sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment are Baccha Singh, Hare Ram Singh, Akshyawar Singh, Kanhaiya singh, Dileep Singh, Sanjay Singh, Asholk Singh, Munna Singh, Degree Singh, Santosh Singh, Kamlesh Singh, Subedar Singh, Bela Singh, Madhav Mauwar, Mahendra Mauwar, Sri Bhagwan Mauwar, Dharat Mauwar, Bakatesh Mauwar, Rampujan Ojha and Mangal Rai.

The case was admitted to the court of sessions judge on January 24, 1998, and on March 24, 2000, charges were framed against 62 acused under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act.

The prosecution produced 13 witnesses, including three doctors and an investigating officer (IO), while the defence produced three witnesses.

Arguments in the case started on April 1, 2010, and concluded on April 20, 2010.