New Delhi | Four Maoists were on Friday sentenced to rigorous imprisonment by a NIA special court in connection with a 2014 case relating to assault, threat and arson against a senior Kerala Police officer, according to an official statement.

Accused Roopesh has been sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment along with Rs 2.35 lakh in fine, while accused Kanyakumari has been sent to six years rigorous imprisonment with Rs 1.05 lakh fine by the NIA special court in Ernakulam, Kerala, said the statement issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Both of them were convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or the UAPA.

Accused Anoop, who was convicted only under the UAPA, will undergo eight years rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs 60,000 and accused Ibrahim has also been punished for offences under the same law to six years rigorous imprisonment besides fine of Rs 40,000, the statement said.

The case was originally registered by the Vellamunda Police and re-registered by the NIA on January 2, 2016.

Eight accused were identified, of whom one, Ajitha alias Anu, was subsequently killed in an exchange of fire, while two others, Mahesh alias Jayanna and Sundari, are absconding, it said.

A reward of Rs 10 lakh has been declared against each of the absconders.

"The NIA special court, Ernakulam, on Friday sentenced to rigorous imprisonment (RI) the four cadres of CPI (Maoist) who were convicted on April 9, 2024, in connection with a 2014 case relating to assault, threat and arson etc. against a senior civil police officer of Kerala Police," the statement said.

The incident had occurred on April 24, 2014, at about 10:30 pm, when in pursuance of the conspiracy hatched by eight persons, including five activists of the CPI (Maoist), had formed an unlawful assembly with deadly weapons, including AK-47 rifle, the NIA said.

They had trespassed into the house of A B Pramod, senior civil police officer of the Kerala Police, it said.

They trained guns at him, threatened to kill him if he helped the police in anti-Maoist operations and asked him to resign from his job, the probe agency said.

They committed mischief by setting his motorcycle on fire and also pasted pamphlets of proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) in his house, calling for armed revolution against the government of India, it added.

The first chargesheet was filed against three accused, including Roopesh who had led the assailants.

They were charged under various sections of the IPC and the UAPA besides the Arms Act. On January 30, 2018, a supplementary charge sheet was filed against the trio, in addition to other co-accused, under relevant sections of the IPC and the UAPA, the NIA said.