Gunupur: The Court of Additional District Judge (ADJ) here in Odisha's Rayagada district today awarded death sentence to nine persons in the sensational Gunupur triple murder case.

The convicts have been identified as Ajanta Sabara, Bubhuna Sabara, Maluku Sabara, Podantu Sabara, Iru Sabara, Lakia Sabara, Degun Sabara, Dasanta Sabara and Dalsa Sabara.

"Adjudicating the murder case, ADJ Subhendu Kumar Pati awarded death sentence to nine men," said Krushna Chandra Senapati, Assistant Public Prosecutor.

On the other hand, Uma Chandra Patnaik, convicts' counsel, said they will move the High Court challenging the verdict of the ADJ court.

Worth mentioning, this is the first instance of capital punishment in a witchcraft case in Odisha.

The convicts had killed three persons of a family-- Asim Sabara, his wife Ambae and their elder daughter Ashamani-- at Kitunga village under Gunupur block in the district on September 9, 2016 over suspicion of practising sorcery. They dumped the bodies at a nearby forest and later unearthed and burned those in a bid to eliminate evidence.