Eight CPM activists, including party district secretariat member P S Janardhanan, the accused in the case of alleged abduction of Poothadi grama panchayat vice-president V N Seseendran, 53, were handed two years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000 by the Bathery Magistrate Court on Thursday.
Of the 12 accused, three were found not guilty and the verdict is pending on the role of another accused, Mahesh, who is absconding.
CPM area committee member T R Ravi, former Poothadi grama panchayat member A V Jayan, George, Baby, Sunil John, Shinu and Sunil Khan were those sentenced by the court. Later, all of them were released on bail.
CPM Pulpally area secretary T B Suresh, Congress (S) leader P K Babu and Jeevan were found not guilty.
The incident took place on April 20, 2009 when the Poothadi grama panchayat ruled by the LDF was to take up a non-confidence motion against the president.
A three-member gang abducted Saseendran ahead of the non-confidence motion moved by the opposition Congress.
The conspirators wanted Saseendran, who had joined the Congress just a couple of days ago before the incident, not to participate in the discussion of the motion. Subsequently, the motion was adjourned for lack of quorum when it came up for discussion on April 27.
Saseendran was released on the same day evening at Koduvally in Kozhikode district, and the next day, he appeared before the High Court.