SARGODHA, Aug 5: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday convicted 26 tribesmen in the murder of four people. Four of the convicts, including an Utra tribe chief, were awarded death sentence and the rest life jail.

Three were awarded death on two counts with Rs300,000 fine each and the fourth on one count with Rs100,000 fine. The court acquitted 23 others by giving them the benefit of the doubt.

According to the prosecution, 60 armed men on May 17, 2004 had killed Ameer Khatoon, Habib, Ehsan and Yousaf, injured 12 people and kidnapped four others over a trifle. The accused had set their houses on fire and humiliated women as well.

Reports said influential landlord Habib riding a motorbike slipped in the street as kiln worker Hakim driving a cart had not given passage to the former on which they exchanged hot words. Later, the accused kidnapped four people of Hakim’s family.

Some women of the victim family lodged a complaint with Malik Chiragh, chief of Utra tribe, which infuriated the landlord and he along with his supporters killed four people.

Gunjial police had registered a case against 37 nominated people and 25 to 35 unknown assailants.

On the interference of the chief minister, the police had arrested about 57 accused, of whom four were released on bail and others were appearing in the court.

The Punjab government had announced compensation for families of the four deceased and the injured. The judge awarded death sentence on two counts to tribal chief Malik Chiragh, Khuda Baksh and Habibullah with Rs300,000 fine and to Liaquat on one count with Rs100,000 fine.