LUCKNOW, July 8 -- Bringing down the curtains on a nearly 24-year-old murder trial, a special CBI court on Tuesday sentenced three convicts to life imprisonment for the murder of advocate Indra Dev Singh, who was shot dead in Lucknow in 2002, senior prosecution officials confirmed. Special CBI Judge Vayu Nandan Mishra pronounced the sentence a week after finding the three accused guilty on June 30. The court awarded rigorous life imprisonment to Vikram Yadav alias Kalia, Panna Singh and Brijesh Yadav alias Munna under Section 302 read with Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. The court also imposed fines on all three convicts. Among those present in the courtroom during the sentence pronouncement was 2000-batch regular recruit IPS officer and Commissioner of Police (CP) Gautam Buddha Nagar, Laxmi Singh, daughter of the slain advocate. She attended the proceedings along with her mother, Nayantara Singh. After the verdict, family members declined to speak to the media. According to the prosecution, Indra Dev Singh was shot dead between 4 pm and 4:30 pm on August 8, 2002, behind the Qaiserbagh Telephone Exchange in Lucknow. Following the murder, his wife, Nayantara Singh, lodged an FIR at Qaiserbagh police station naming several accused. The UP government transferred the probe to CBI. The agency named Mannalal Gupta, Ved Prakash alias Neta, Vikram Yadav alias Kalia, Chhotelal, Chhotu, Brijesh Yadav alias Munna and Panna Singh as accused. The probe concluded that Vikram Yadav alias Kalia had fired the fatal shot at the advocate using a country-made 12-bore firearm. The CBI filed its charge sheet in 2004, and charges were framed the same year. After prolonged trial proceedings spanning more than two decades, the court found Vikram Yadav alias Kalia, Panna Singh and Brijesh Yadav alias Munna guilty....