A fast-track sessions court in Mumbai Friday imposed the death penalty on three persons charged with murdering four members of a family following a dispute over inter-caste marriage.

Dilip Tiwari and his associates Sunil Yadav and Manoj Paswan were given capital punishment after they were found guilty of committing the multiple murders two years ago. However, the court acquitted Dilip's parents Prem Narain Tiwari and Tulsi Tiwai for want of evidence.

Observing that this was one of the 'rarest of rare' cases, Judge A B Mahajan upheld the contention of special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam that Dilip and two others had committed cold-blooded murders.

The three were charged with murder of four members of a Lochil family in Vasai area of Thane district neighbouring Mumbai. The court also awarded additional ten years' rigorous imprisonment to the three convicts for causing serious injuries to two other members of the Lochil family.

The relations between Tiwari and Lochil families soured after Prabhu Lochil married Sushma Tiwari on October 29, 2003 as the Tiwari family did not approve of the alliance. On May 17, 2004, Dilip, alongwith his friends Manoj and Sunil, went to Prabhu's house in the early hours and stabbed him to death. They also murdered his father Krishnan and 14-year-old cousin Dirjid Balan. Prabhu's friend Abhay Raj, who was staying close by, was also killed as he had helped the couple in getting married. The killers also stabbed Prabhu's mother Indira Krishnan and sister Deepa. Both fell unconscious after the attack and the killers fled thinking that they were dead.

Indira and Deepa had to stay in hospital for nine months due to serious injuries. However, both survived.

At the time of the murders, Sushma was not at home as she had gone to her relatives' home in Mumbai's suburb Andheri.

Streemukti, a local NGO, took up the issue and registered a police case against Dilip Tiwari and other accused.

Following public outcry over the murders, Maharashtra government appointed senior counsel Ujjwal Nikam as Special Public Prosecutor in the case.

Dilip, Sunil and Manoj were charged with murder, while Dilip's parents with conspiracy to murder the Lochil family.