Paralakhemundi: A local court Thursday sentenced 14 persons to life imprisonment after convicting them in the murder of a person, and murderous attack on others, over past enmity during Holi festival in 2009. Additional district and sessions judge Pradip Kumar Samal at Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district also slapped a penalty of Rs 10,000 each on the convicted persons. The judge passed the order after examining the statements of all witnesses and the police chargesheet, Public Prosecutor Brundaban Nayak said. Meanwhile, two of the 16 accused arrested in the murder case died during the protracted trial which spanned over a period of 15 years.
The incident occurred March 12, 2009 on the day of Holi festival at Ghasisahi near Paralakhemundi over past enmity. The accused persons broke into the house of Anjali Nagbansh and assaulted her kin Chinababu Nagbansh, Babi Guralu and Siba Nagbansh who were sleeping. They also barged into the adjacent house of Madhu Nagbansh and attacked him and his wife brutally. Later, they were trying to break open the door of Pannada Srinu but fled on noticing the arrival of police which rescued the critically injured persons and admitted them to a hospital. Siba Nagbansh died during treatment.
