CHENNAI: A special court for bomb blast cases in Poonamalee on Tuesday sentenced four persons belonging to the Maoist Communist Centre, to life imprisonment in connection with the brutal murder of a DMK functionary in Krishnagiri district in 2002.
According to special public prosecutor N Vijayaraj, the murder was so brutal that the victim Venkatesh was made to consume acid before a gang hurled bombs on him.
Venkatesh, who was earlier with the Communist Party of India, later shifted loyalties to the DMK, creating the rift between the party members and ultimately to the murder that took place on May 8, 2002. The police booked a total of 15 members of the Maoist Communist Centre in the case.
During the trial, three of the accused were killed over the years in various instances and the remaining 12 were all tried for murder and criminal conspiracy. Special judge P Chenthoorpandi on Tuesday, pronouncing the judgement, said that the prosecution has proved the case beyond doubt and sentenced four of them to life imprisonment and acquitted eight others.