Lucknow, June 15 (IANS) Nineteen people were Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Uttar Pradesh for the murder five years ago of two Dalit brothers, officials said.

A fast track court in Barabanki awarded life terms to Naumi Lal and his 18 aides, who had brutally assaulted Ram Sagar and Ram Dev in November 2005 in Saraiya village, some 35 km from here, over a land dispute.

‘Armed with sticks and other weapons, Lal and his associates had attacked the two brothers, who died on their way to hospital. Later a criminal case was slapped against 19 people, of which 12 were arrested while the remaining surrendered,’ police inspector Komal Singh told reporters in Barabanki.

After the murder, the victims’ family had also moved the court.