Bhubaneswar: A family of six, including a juvenile, in Odisha's Nabarangpur district on Wednesday was sentenced to life in a murder case.

Additional sessions judge of Nabarangpur, Bishnu Prasad Mishra, on Wednesday, sentenced Ananta Pujari (50) and five other members of his family, including a juvenile, to life imprisonment for their involvement in a brutal murder case dating back to August 9, 2022. Considering the severity of the crime, the juvenile justice board of Nabarangpur had ordered that the juvenile be treated as an adult and tried.

On August 9, 2022, the victim, Dambaru Pujari, and his family members were plucking beans in their field when the accused, armed with weapons such as swords, axes, and iron bars, attacked them over a long-standing enmity. During the attack, Dambaru's brother Padlam Pujari suffered deep fractures on both of his legs after being run over by a tractor, while Dambaru Pujari was stabbed multiple times and critically injured. Despite being rushed to a government medical college in Cuttack, Dambaru succumbed to his injuries on August 16.

The accused include Ananta Pujari (50), Siba Sankar Pujari (29), Chandan Pujari (24), Dumar Pujari (73), and Dalimba Pujari (45), all residents of Baramasi village in Nabarangpur district were charged under sections 147, 148, 341, 447, 323, 325, 307, 302, and 149 of the IPC.

After a thorough investigation and trial, the trial court found the accused guilty of murder and other related offences. Along with life imprisonment under Section 302/149 IPC, they have been fined ₹10,000 each. All the accused have been in custody since August 10, 2022.