Gaya, Feb. 11 : Three Naxalites were sentenced to death and three got acquittal in connection with the Bara massacre case on Wednesday.

It may be recalled that the Naxalites slaughtered 35 upper caste Bhumihars 17 years ago.

Gaya District and Sessions Judge Daroga Prasad, designated the special TADA judge, pronounced Vyas Kahar, Naresh Paswan and Yugal Mochi of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) guilty of involvement in the carnage and awarded them the death penalty.

The court acquitted Tyagi Mahto, Vijay Yadav and Madhusudan Sharma citing, saying the prosecution had failed to establish charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The MCC's armed group brought the 35 men of Bara village to the bank of a nearby canal, tied their hands and slit their throats.

The victims were believed to be sympathizers of the Ranvir Sena, a private militia of upper caste land owners, engaged in a bloody feud with the banned ultra-left organization, which has since merged with the People''s War Group to form the CPI (Maoist). (ANI)