Mumbai (PTI): Eleven persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court here on Monday for their involvement in the Bilkis Bano gangrape-cum-murder case which took place during the communal violence in Gujarat in 2002.

The twelfth convict in the case, Somabhai Gori, a police official who was found guilty by the court for shielding the offenders, has been sentenced to three years' rigorous imprisonment.

Twelve persons, including the police official, were convicted by the court on January 18. Seven were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence, while one died during the course of the trial.

The accused sentenced to life imprisonment by the court are: Jaswantibhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radhyesham Shah, Bipin Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajanbhai Soni, Nitesh Bhatt, Ramesh Chandana.

Bilkis was among a group of 17 persons travelling from Chaparwad to Panivela on March 3, 2002 when they were attacked. Eight persons were killed and six went missing after the incident.

Bilkis, who was six months pregnant, was gangraped. She and two children were the only survivors of the attack.

The trial was transferred from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in August 2004 by the Supreme Court as the CBI and Bilkis had expressed fears that witnesses could be intimidated or harmed.

The eleven persons were convicted under IPC sections 120 (b) (conspiracy), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 376 (2) (e)(g) (rape on pregnant woman and gangrape) and 302 (murder).

One of the members of this group, Naresh Mordhiya, died during the course of the trial.

Police official, Gori, was found guilty by the court under sections 217 and 218 of IPC for attempting to shield the offenders.

While convicting the eleven accused, the court had considered the statements of Bilkis and one of the child witnesses, who was eight-years-old at the time of the incident.