A Rohtas court on Wednesday held five Maoists guilty in the murder of then divisional forest officer (DFO) of Rohtas Sanjay Singh on February 15, 2002.

A court headed by district and sessions judge Prabhunath Singh held them guilty under Section 20 of Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002, 27 Arms Act and sections 302 (murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 148 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly with common intension) IPC.

It will pronounce the quantum of punishment on July 5. The trial was completed on June 8 and the court had fixed June 21 for pronouncing the judgment after hearing both sides.

The Maoists had kidnapped DFO Singh from Rehal in Kaimur on February 15, 2002, when he was returning to the district headquarters town after attending a meeting. Later, they shot him dead. The five Maoists were made accused. The government handed over investigation to the CBI following a request from the family of the dead.

Earlier, in 2004, a Rohtas court awarded life imprisonment to two Maoists. The trial of the five held guilty on Wednesday was separated from that case as they were absconding at that time.

CBI Sources said that 21 persons were named as accused on the statement of Binod Rajbar, who was arrested from Rohtas on May 2, 2002. Fourteen accused still remain absconding.