<p class="title">The Madras High Court on Thursday convicted nine people to life imprisonment in a case related to the attack on the office of Tamil daily 'Dinakaran' here in 2007 in which three men were killed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gopinath, Vinoth and Muthuramalingam were killed in the attack on May 5, 2007.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On December 9, 2009, all the 17 people arrested in the case were acquitted of murder charges by a CBI special court.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Later, the CBI, which investigated the case, and Vinoth's mother filed an appeal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A bench of justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendi of the high court's Madurai bench sentenced 'Attack' Pandi, Vijaya Pandi, Kandasamy, Ramaiah Pandian, Prabhu, V Sudhakar, Thirumurgan, Ruban and Malik Batcha to three terms of life imprisonment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cases were filed against them under the Explosives Act and charges of causing damage to properties and murders.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The judges also sentenced them to five years of rigorous imprisonment under the act.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The sentences would be run concurrently.</p>.<p class="bodytext">'Attack' Pandi is, at present, lodged at the Palayamkottai Central Jail for the murder of 'Pottu' Suresh.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The judges directed that the eight others should be arrested immediately and sent to jail.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They also directed that Rs 5 lakh each should be given as compensation to families of the three deceased people.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The court has decided that a DSP, Rajaram, was also an accused in the case, and directed him to appear before the court on March 25, the bench said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Saravanamuthu, another accused, died during the trial.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Regarding the seven others, the bench said they would undergo five years of imprisonment under the Explosives Act and on charges of causing damage to properties and murders.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Three employees of the daily were killed in the attack on the office following the publication of a survey which gave an edge to the then deputy chief minister and DMK president late M Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin over his brother and then Union minister M K Alagiri to succeed their father.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CBI, after a long delay of over four years, had filed the revision petition in 2014.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Of the 17 convicts acquitted by the district and sessions court here in December 2009, 11 had been arrested after the bench issued non-bailable warrants as they failed to appear for the hearing of the appeal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Another convict, Dayamuthu, is absconding and stated to be staying somewhere in Malaysia, while the others have obtained bail.</p>
<p class="title">The Madras High Court on Thursday convicted nine people to life imprisonment in a case related to the attack on the office of Tamil daily 'Dinakaran' here in 2007 in which three men were killed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gopinath, Vinoth and Muthuramalingam were killed in the attack on May 5, 2007.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On December 9, 2009, all the 17 people arrested in the case were acquitted of murder charges by a CBI special court.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Later, the CBI, which investigated the case, and Vinoth's mother filed an appeal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A bench of justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendi of the high court's Madurai bench sentenced 'Attack' Pandi, Vijaya Pandi, Kandasamy, Ramaiah Pandian, Prabhu, V Sudhakar, Thirumurgan, Ruban and Malik Batcha to three terms of life imprisonment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cases were filed against them under the Explosives Act and charges of causing damage to properties and murders.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The judges also sentenced them to five years of rigorous imprisonment under the act.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The sentences would be run concurrently.</p>.<p class="bodytext">'Attack' Pandi is, at present, lodged at the Palayamkottai Central Jail for the murder of 'Pottu' Suresh.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The judges directed that the eight others should be arrested immediately and sent to jail.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They also directed that Rs 5 lakh each should be given as compensation to families of the three deceased people.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The court has decided that a DSP, Rajaram, was also an accused in the case, and directed him to appear before the court on March 25, the bench said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Saravanamuthu, another accused, died during the trial.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Regarding the seven others, the bench said they would undergo five years of imprisonment under the Explosives Act and on charges of causing damage to properties and murders.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Three employees of the daily were killed in the attack on the office following the publication of a survey which gave an edge to the then deputy chief minister and DMK president late M Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin over his brother and then Union minister M K Alagiri to succeed their father.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CBI, after a long delay of over four years, had filed the revision petition in 2014.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Of the 17 convicts acquitted by the district and sessions court here in December 2009, 11 had been arrested after the bench issued non-bailable warrants as they failed to appear for the hearing of the appeal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Another convict, Dayamuthu, is absconding and stated to be staying somewhere in Malaysia, while the others have obtained bail.</p>