CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has suspended the orders of the XVII Additional Sessions Judge awarding rigorous imprisonment for three years to 21 students of Dr Ambedkar Law College, Esplanade, on January 28 last.
Justice P Devadass suspended the sentence, while passing interim orders on Wednesday on an appeal from Chithiraiselvan and others.
The 21 former students, belonging to two groups, were involved in a major clash in the college premises on November 12, 2008. They were convicted and sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.
After the trial, which went on for about seven years, the Additional Sessions Judge Gomathi Nayagam found 19 students from one group, who filed the counter complaint, and two students from the other side, who filed the original complaint, guilty. The judge acquitted 22 students of the charges. The acquitted included Armstrong, now the BSP State leader.
Bharathikannan and Arumugham, the injured in the incident and the original complainants, were found guilty and given rigorous imprisonment for three years with a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
The 19-students belonging to the counter-complaint group and who were convicted were given the same three year rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 15,000 each.