A court in Rajshahi on Thursday convicted nine people and sentenced them to life-term imprisonment in the Khokon Ali murder case about two and a half years back.
The court also fined each of the convicts Tk 50,000, and in default, they have to suffer six more months behind the bar.
Judge of Rajshahi Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal Muhammad Mohiduzzaman handed down the verdict before all of them.
Seventeen other accused of the case were also acquitted as the murder charge brought against them could not be proved.
The condemned convicts are: Ziarul Islam, Muhammad Rony, Shahjahan Ali, Milon Ali, Sekender Ali, Haider Ali, Imran Ali, Ashraf Ali and Faruque Hossain. All of them are the residents of Zotkartik Village under Charghat Upazila in the district.
According to the prosecution, the accused in collaboration with each other chopped their neighbour Khokon Ali, 35, indiscriminately to death as a sequel to previous enmity on April 8, 2022.
Wife of the deceased Rupa Begum had lodged a case with Charghat Police Station on the same day. Upon completion of investigation, police pressed charges accusing 27 people.
After examining the recorded depositions of 27 prosecution witnesses and other relevant evidence, the tribunal pronounced the verdict on Thursday.
