A court on Friday convicted 31 employees of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), including 13 on charges of murder, for the violence at the company’s Manesar plant in August 2012.
Additional District and Sessions Judge RK Goyal also acquitted 117 employees. A total of 148 workers were arrested and charged with the murder of senior Human Resources officer Awanish Kumar Dev.
The court sentenced 13 employees, who hold top posts in the MSIL workers’ union, on charges of murder and attempt to murder, besides rioting and other related offences.
Eighteen others were convicted on charges of rioting, trespassing, causing hurt and other related offences under Indian Penal Code sections. The quantum of punishment will be decided on March 18.
The violence on August 18, 2012 broke out over wage issues. A group of employees allegedly torched a section of the MSIL facility. The incident claimed the life of Dev, a resident of South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar.
Workers to move HC
Meanwhile, the workers’ legal defence team said it would put up a “strong challenge to their conviction in an appeal before the High Court”.
Senior advocate Vrinda Grover alleged that a large number of workers were falsely implicated to prejudice public opinion.