Agra, May 28 (IANS): Eleven men, accused of holding a farmer hostage and looting his standing crop in 1983, have been sentenced to five years in jail by the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

The decision comes 40 years after the incident took place.

Most of the accused are over 60 years old now and 15 accused died during the trial that lasted four decades.

Ajab Singh, the complainant, who was 40 years old at the time of the crime and is 80 now, said his dignity had been restored.

"It was a long and tedious legal battle. However, I never gave up the struggle for justice. My crop was looted in front of my eyes, it was a question of dignity," he said.

The court has also slapped a fine of Rs 22,000 on the accused, 50 per cent of which is to be paid to Singh.

The cost of the crop stolen was then Rs 6,500.

Senior prosecution officer Vinod Kumar Yadav said, "On the basis of fool proof evidence (crop stolen from Singh's field was found by police from houses of the accused) and statement of seven witnesses, the court found 11 men guilty under IPC section 382 (theft after preparation).