Anger erupted outside a court in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari on Wednesday after five men were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of three friends in a case that shocked the district.

Relatives of the victims expressed disappointment with the court’s decision and demanded the death penalty for the convicts. As the accused were being taken out of the court premises, some family members threw shoes, slippers and stones at them, shouting, “What did you gain by destroying our families?”

The court had sentenced all five adult accused to life imprisonment in the triple-murder case.

Families Demand Death Penalty

The victims’ relatives said the three men had left behind young children and argued that life imprisonment was not sufficient punishment.

One relative became emotional while recalling a young daughter of one of the victims, saying the child still looks towards the door expecting her father to return with chocolates.

The families said they were unhappy with the sentence and would consider challenging the verdict in a higher court.

Police personnel maintained security outside the court as the convicts were taken away in a prison vehicle.

Three Friends Killed After Dispute

The incident took place near Annapurna Dhaba in Bhoyna village under the Arjuni police station area of Dhamtari on the night of August 11, 2025.

According to the prosecution case, five young men travelling in a car had gone out in Dhamtari and stopped near the dhaba to ask about something.

Eight people were already at the dhaba and were reportedly involved in an argument over payment of a bill. The group was allegedly damaging chairs at the establishment.

When the five youths got out of their car, an argument broke out between the two groups. The dispute escalated into verbal abuse and then a physical confrontation.

Knife Attack Killed Three

During the altercation, the main accused, Gopi Diwan, allegedly attacked three of the youths with a knife.

The victims were identified as Alok Singh Thakur, Nitin Tandi and Suresh Nihal.

All three died at the scene from injuries sustained in the attack. The injured victims were taken to hospital after the incident, while police launched an investigation into the killings.

The case subsequently became known as the Dhamtari triple-murder case.

Five Adults Among Eight Accused

Police arrested the accused following the investigation. The case involved five adult accused and three juveniles.

Public prosecutor Geetesh Prajapati said the five adult accused had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the triple murder.

Additional sentences were also imposed for other offences. The accused received two years for rioting, five years for illegal possession of weapons and six months for assaulting others.

Gopi Diwan, Kuleshwar Netam and Ranveer Sahu were separately sentenced in the weapons-related case.

The prosecutor said sentences of up to three years would run concurrently.

Verdict Delivered Within a Year

The prosecution said the case was decided within roughly a year.

The charge sheet was submitted before the court on November 11, while the verdict was pronounced on August 12, 2026.

The prosecution had sought the death penalty for the accused, while the victims’ families had also demanded capital punishment.

However, the court awarded life imprisonment to the five adult accused.

The verdict was delivered by First Additional Sessions Judge Mohan Singh Korram.

Families May Challenge Verdict

The victims’ families have indicated that they are considering an appeal against the sentence.

Their reaction outside the court reflected the anger and grief that has continued since the three young men were killed.

The case had also drawn attention because of the circumstances surrounding the victims’ deaths and the impact on their families, including young children who lost their fathers.

With the five accused sentenced to life imprisonment, the next legal step could now come from the victims’ families if they decide to challenge the punishment before a higher court.