Four Maoists were on Thursday sentenced to death by a local court in Jharkhand for the 2007 Chilkari massacre in which 20 villagers including former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi's son was killed.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (First) I D Mishra ordered that the four be hanged till death for perpetrating the dastardly crime on October 26, 2007.

The four condemned Maoists are Chhatrapati Mandal, Manoj Rajwar, Jiten Marandi and Anil Ram. The court had on Wednesday acquitted Hafiz Ahmed, Tutlal Yadav, Kishan Rajwar, Ram Sahay Das, Sitaram Turi and Mangru Kisku in the case for want of evidence.

Marandi's son Anup was among the 20 villagers who were gunned down while watching a cultural programme in Chilkhari. Marandi's brother escaped the attack. While 19 villagers died on the spot, one woman succumbed to injuries the next day.