Seven persons were convicted and sentenced in two different cases by a fast track court of Phulbani on Wednesday, for their involvement in the communal riots in Kandhamal district of Orissa in 2008, while 10 accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The total number of persons convicted in connection with the communal riots in the district rose to 105, while more than 400 accused have been acquitted.
Speaking to The Hindu , public prosecutor Pratap Kumar Patra said all the seven convicted persons were punished with imprisonment of two years and a fine of Rs. 2,500 each.
Failure to deposit the fine would entail extension of prison sentence by six months and 15 days. According to Mr. Patra the convicts were charged with arson, unlawful assembly and mischievous acts during the communal violence.
The five persons convicted in the first case had cases lodged against them in the G. Udaygiri police station.
