BIDAR, July 25 -- A dispute over banners during a village festival in Karnataka's Yadgir district that turned into a caste-driven killing over a decade ago came to a close on Thursday, with sessions court convicting 20 people in the 2014 murder of Dalit leader Devendrappa Bhimappa Dalapati, sentencing 17 of them to life imprisonment.

The court found that the prosecution had established the case through eyewitness testimony, medical evidence and material objects recovered during the investigation. One accused was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, while two others received six months in prison. The court also imposed a collective fine of Rs.4.25 lakh, directing that it be paid to the victim's legal heirs, and advised the family to se...