A fast-track court in Orissa's Kandhamal district has sentenced nine persons to six years rigorous imprisonment in connection with the August 2008 ethno-communal riots in the district. Additional Sessions Judge, Phulbani, Sobhan Kumar Das while convicting the nine accused for their involvement in house torching, murder, rioting and unlawful assembly with deadly weapons also imposed a penalty of 11,000 rupees each. However, 10 others charged in the case were acquitted due to lack of proper evidence. The incident occurred on August 24, 2008, a day after the killing of senior VHP leader Swami Laxamananda Saraswami at his Jalaspeta ashram in the district.