Koppal, Oct 25 (IANS): In a historical judgment, a Karnataka court has convicted 98 persons to life imprisonment in an atrocity case reported in the Koppal district of the state.

Judge C. Chandrashekar passed the judgment in the case.

It is the first case in the history of the state that such a large number of accused have been convicted of life imprisonment in an atrocity case, according to sources.

The incident had taken place in Marakumbi village in Gangavathi taluk.

The Gangavathi police had investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet.

A total of 101 persons were produced before the court and among them, three accused persons belonging to the SC and ST community were awarded five years of rigorous imprisonment with a Rs 5,000 fine, and the rest belonging to the upper caste were awarded with life imprisonment.

The incident took place on August 28, 2014.

The accused were charged with demolishing the houses of Dalits and attacking them in the village for a trivial matter.

The Gangavathi police had registered an FIR against 117 persons.

Enraged by the proactiveness of a few Dalit youths who questioned untouchability in the village, the accused had barged into the Dalit's colony and torched their huts.

The accused had also destroyed the houses and attacked Dalits.

The judge had reserved the order for Thursday as the charges were established against the accused in the charge sheet and before the court.

The police had taken 101 persons into custody while the remaining 16 persons had died.

The family members of all the accused had gathered in the premises of the Koppal court and were seen in tears as the police had taken them to the prison.

The accused will be taken to the Koppal district prison and later they will be shifted to the Ballary prison.