A local court on Saturday sentenced four persons to life imprisonment after convicting them in a murder case. Additional District Judge, Baripada, Ashanta Kumar Das awarded the life imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 2,000 each to Surendra Naiak (42), Bhima Singh (20), Dukhiba Sangram Mohapatra and Antaryami Patra on the charge of murder of 68-year-old lawyer Kalicharan Pradhan and acquitted one Santosh Patra.
The five persons on the night of February 9 had killed Pradhan and left his wife Basanti severely injured during a dacoity in their house.
The incident had sparked tension in this Maurbhanj district headquarters town as lawyers launched a two-month-long cease-work agitation demanding arrest of the culprits.The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch, which nabbed the five criminals.