By IANS,
Bhubaneswar: A fast track court Wednesday sentenced 13 people to five years’ rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in a house burning incident during the Kandhamal riots in Orissa in 2008, a defence lawyer said.
Judge B.N. Mishra handed down the sentences at the district headquarters town of Phulbani.
The court also asked them to pay a fine of Rs.2,000 each, the lawyer told IANS.
Kandhamal district, about 200 km from Bhubaneswar, witnessed widespread violence following the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23, 2008.
At least 38 people were killed and more than 25,000 Christians were forced to flee after their houses were attacked by mobs that held Christians responsible for Saraswati’s killing, although the police blamed the Maoists.