New Delhi, October 31
A Delhi court, which had convicted 15 persons for attacking Dalits in Mirchpur village in Haryana’s Hisar district on April 21, 2010, today sentenced three of them to life term and five persons to imprisonment for varying periods up to five years. Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau let off the remaining seven convicts on probation for one year.

In a brief order, the ASJ also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 each on the eight persons who would undergo imprisonment and Rs 10,000 each on the probationer convicts.

Tara Chand, a 70-year-old Dalit, and his physically challenged daughter had been killed in the violence by a mob that set ablaze the houses of the Balmiki community.

The life convicts are Kulwinder, son of Ramvir, Ramphal s/o of Prithvi, and Rajinder s/o Pali. They had been convicted under Section 304 relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Though the maximum sentence under this section is 10 years of imprisonment, they were awarded life term as the crime also fell under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Those sentenced up to five years of jail are Baljeet (s/o Inder), Karamvir (s/o Tarachand), Karampal (s/o Satbir), Dharamvir (s/o Maichand) and Bhobal (s/o Tekram).

The court convicted 15 persons and acquitted 82 in the case on September 24 this year. The Supreme Court had transferred the case from Hisar to Delhi on December 8 last for ensuring a fair trial free from any pressure from any quarter.

Station House Officer (SHO) Vinod Kajal was among those acquitted. In all, there were 98 accused, but the trial did not cover one person as he is still absconding.

Advocate Arun Rathee, who had argued for the convicts, said all his clients would file an appeal in the Delhi High Court, challenging the trial court verdict.