Agartala, May 18 (IANS): A court in Tripura has upheld the decision of a trial court to award two-year rigorous imprisonment to three Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders for creating a ruckus inside a courtroom and insulting a judge.

The incident took place eight years ago during a nation-wide shutdown called by the Left parties.

South Tripura District and Session Court Judge Ashutosh Pandey on Wednesday upheld the trial court's earlier judgement awarding two years of rigorous imprisonment to three CPI-M leaders -- Tapas Datta, Trilokesh Sinha and Babul Debnath. The trial court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on them.

After the incident on September 2, 2015, the police registered a suo-moto case and launched a probe. The police also filed chargesheets against the three CPI-M leaders.

A first class judicial magistrate imprisoned the Left leaders, who subsequently filed a review petition in the district court against the trial court judgement.

The trial court last year convicted the three CPI-M leaders for insulting the then South Tripura District and Session Court judge Ruhi Das Paul and obstructing official duties.

The lawyer of the three accused pleaded in court that the three CPI-M leaders were not guilty in the case.

The lawyer on Thursday said that the CPI-M leaders would approach the Tripura High Court within 60 days.

Datta is the CPI-M state committee member while Debnath is the leader of All India Kishan Sabha and Sinha is the Secretariat member of CPI-M Belonia Sub-Divisional committee.