The Tirunelveli principal sessions court on Wednesday convicted three persons for the murder of former Dravida Munnetra K Minister Aladi Aruna and his close associate in 2004 and acquitted six others.

Pronouncing the verdict, Judge K Bhaskaran found the accused Veldurai, Balamurugan and Azhagar guilty and acquitted S A Raja, an educationist and five others on the ground that charges were not proved against them.

The judge convicted Balamurugan and Azhagar for conspiracy to murder and Veldurai under Arms Act. Two of the accused committed suicide and another named 'Dog' Ravi is absconding.

The sentence will be pronounced on Thursday, the judge said.

The prosecution had said that Aruna, who served as law minister in 1996 in DMK government and was an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP in Rajya Sabha in 1984, and his friend R Ponraj, a teacher, were murdered by a group of assailants on December 31, 2004, in Nallur near Alangulam.

Raja, who was accused of hiring the gang, was granted bail by the Supreme Court later.