Amaravati, May 25 (IANS): A district court in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district on Monday sentenced 12 persons to death in the sensational highway killings case of 2008.

The 8th Additional Sessions Court in Ongole also handed down life imprisonment to seven persons for their involvement in the case which involved the disappearance of several persons, and the goods-laden trucks they were driving, on the Kolkata-Chennai national highway.

Main accused, Abdul Samad alias Munna, was awarded death sentence on three counts.

The sensational case of truckers and their goods-laden trucks, disappearing on the national highway in Prakasam district, in 2008, had baffled the police. Finally they stumbled upon a clue and discovered that Munna and his gang were killing the truckers and disposing off the vehicles.

According to police, Munna and his gang would pose as officials on the national highway, stop the trucks, and demand to see their papers. They would then strangle the unsuspecting truckers and bury them in surrounding forests, before disposing off the vehicles and goods.

The gang was finally arrested and seven cases filed against them. Investigations showed that the gang had murdered 13 persons. In between, the main accused had jumped bail, but was later arrested again.