Latur, Feb 24 (PTI) Twenty-two years after a political rivalry over local elections culminated in the fatal assault on then 58-year-old man in Latur district, a court has convicted 12 persons for murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

The district and additional sessions court judge at Udgir, RM Kadam, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on the convicted men.

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A group of 13 individuals fatally attacked Digambar Patil, a local social worker, with sticks at his home in Gurdhal village on May 23, 2003, the prosecution said, adding that Patil's family members were also injured.

One of the 13 accused charge-sheeted by the police died during trial, following which proceedings against him were abated, a prosecution lawyer said.

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"The court found the 12 accused guilty under section 302 (Punishment for murder) under the Indian Penal Code and sentenced them to life imprisonment on Friday," said Assistant Public Prosecutor Gauspasha Sayyed.

The failure to pay the Rs 10,00 fine will attract an additional one year in jail, he said.

Sayyed said the accused harboured a grudge against Patil over differences regarding Gram Panchayat and ZP elections in Latur.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)