Three maoists convicted in former Madhya Pradesh transport minister's murder

BHOPAL: A court in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Friday sentenced three Maoists to life in prison in connection with murder former transport minister Likhiram Kawre.
Those convicted have been identified as Madan Lal Varkhade @ Ayugchandra Mouli, Santosh @ Jagdeesh and Jhinia Bai @ Rukhmabai.
First Additional District and Sessions Judge, Balaghat, Deepak Tripathi also ordered that these accused will have to undergo additional one year's imprisonment if they fail to pay fine of Rs 5000 each.
All the above said accused persons are in judicial custody. The corresponding period spent under judicial custody will deducted from the above said sentences in respect of all the accused persons, court ruled.
Kawre was murdered as a retaliatory action by banned People's War Group in his native village Sonepuri, 40 km from Balaghat on December 15/16 2009. Posters left behind with his body proclaim that the murder ''a punishment for the killing of four PWG top brass.''. They were arrested in Bangalore and killed in an encounter in Karimnagar Andhra Pradesh on December 1 that year. PWG had claimed the encounter was fake.
Case was registered at Kirnapur police station, Balaghat MP and subsequently, transferred to CID. In 2000 this case was transferred to CBI.
CBI had charge-sheeted 12 people in this connection. Four of them identified - Bhaiyalal, Makhan, Chetram and Lalita got arrested and were sentenced to life in jail in 2005.