Muslims jailed for Gujarat murder

Haren Pandya was killed in March 2003

Nine Muslims have been sentenced to life in prison in the Indian state of Gujarat for the killing of the state's former Home Minister, Haren Pandya.

Mr Pandya was shot in broad daylight in a park in Gujarat's commercial centre, Ahmedabad, in March, 2003.

He was a leading figure in the governing Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat.

The court said the Muslims killed him in revenge for the 2002 Gujarat riots in which more than 1,000 Muslims died.

The state government in Gujarat was heavily criticised for failing to protect the state's Muslims from Hindu mobs during the rioting.

Other sentences

The nine Muslims given life sentences included Asghar Ali who the court said had fired the gun.

Two other men were given seven-year sentences and one man was given a five-year term.

As well as being a key figure in the BJP, Haren Pandya was also a senior member of the right wing Hindu organisation, the RSS.

Mr Pandya was reported to have had bitter differences with Gujarat's Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.