Balangir: District and sessions judge of Sambalpur Saroj Kumar Pati on Monday awarded life imprisonment to Kumara alas Kumaramani Bag, 40, of Sihini in Balangir's Titilagarh police limits and acquitted 15 others in connection with the murder of a private steel company official on March 3, 2011.

The accused persons had confined the then deputy general manager of Titilagarh's Powmex steel division in his vehicle before setting it ablaze.

The court has also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kumara. In case of a default, the convict will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment of one more year. The convict was found guilty under sections 148, 341, 435, 302 and 149 0f IPC.

Public prosecutor Artatrana Mishra said the trial was being held in the additional district and sessions judge court in Titilagarh. However, the Supreme Court transferred the proceeding to the district and sessions judge court in Sambalpur on May 8 last year. The apex court had directed the district court to conclude the trial within one year. The Powmex steel division had moved the Supreme Court to transfer the proceedings after some witness turned hostile.

According to the reports, the incident had taken place while Rai, along with the then vice-president (marketing) of the company Bichitrananda Panda, was leaving for lunch in an MUV on March 3 2011. The workers of the company, who were sitting on an agitation to protest the suspension of some employees, stopped the vehicle. They damaged the vehicle's windshield and window glasses and assaulted Rai. They allowed Panda to leave before setting the MUV on fire with Rai inside.

After the vehicle went up in flames, Rai, who was also engulfed in fire, jumped out of the vehicle and began to run. He was rushed to the Titilagarh sub-divisional headquarters hospital and later shifted to the district headquarters hospital in Balangir, where he breathed his last.