9 sentenced to life in Dinakaran arson attack case

Chennai (IANS) The Madras High Court's Madurai bench on Thursday sentenced, to life imprisonment, nine people convicted in the 2007 Dinakaran newspaper burning case which left three persons dead.

The court also sentenced seven other accused to five-year jail terms.

The High Court's verdict came on an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as the lower court acquitted all the accused.

The High Court also ordered the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 500,000 to the families of the three employees of Dinakaran daily - Gopinath, Vinod and Muthuramalingan - who were killed in the attack.

Amongst the accused sentenced for life is V.P. Pandi also known as `Attack Pandi', a supporter of former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, who was expelled from the DMK some years back.

In 2007, the Dinakaran daily published a survey report on who would be the preferred successor for late DMK President M.Karunanidhi.

As per the survey, Alagiri was ranked below Stalin which angered the supporters of the former and they attacked the daily's office in Madurai with petrol bombs, resulting in fire and death of three employees.