The Tirunelveli principal sessions court here on Thursday sentenced two persons to death and another to three years rigorous imprisonment in connection with the murder of former Tamil Nadu law minister Aladi Aruna and his close associate in December 2004.

Judge K Bhaskaran, who convicted the trio on Wednesday, awarded capital punishment to S Balamurugan and Azhagar while another accused Veldurai was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment.

Both Balamurugan and Azhagar should be hanged to death, but could go on appeal in the Madurai bench of the Madras high court, the judge said.

Balamurugan and Azhagar were charged with conspiracy to murder while Veldurai was convicted for the violation of the Arms Act.

In his judgement on Wednesday, the judge had acquitted six persons including S A Raja, a prominent educationist. Two of the accused in the case committed suicide while another by name 'Dog' Ravi is absconding.

Aruna, who served as law minister in the 1996 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ministry and also as an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member of Rajya Sabha in 1984, was murdered along with his friend A Ponraj by a group of assailants on December 31, 2004, at Nallur near Alangulam.