Kanpur, Oct. 24 (PTI): A local court today sentenced 15 people, including a lawyer, to life imprisonment in the Babri Masjid riots case.

Four days after the demolition of the mosque on December 6, 1992, the accused had burnt nine persons to death in the Gujaini locality.

The victims included four of a family — Chhote Miyan, his wife Salma, mother-in-law Akhtari Beghum and two-and-a-half-year-old son Saddam.

Chhote Miyan’s brother Siddiq was among 26 witnesses in the case.

Those sentenced were Pushpendra Yadav, a lawyer, Rajjan alias Rajnarayan, Ratan Lal, Ram Shankar Gupt, Amar Pal, Shreepal, Rajjan Sachan, Dipendra Sachan, Bihari Lal Gupt, Mauni alias Naval Kishore, Krishna Kumar Mishra, Sachit Ram, Jairam, Bablu alias Manoj Tripathi and Prem Narayan.

Booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the accused were charged with loot, murder and arson. They were also fined Rs 23,000 each.

Some colleagues of the lawyer created a ruckus in the courtroom, turning chairs upside down and abusing additional district judge S.M. Hasim, who delivered the verdict.

The security personnel intervened and escorted the judge out.