Kochi: Upholding a lower court order, Kerala High Court today sentenced prime accused Dharmarajan to life imprisonment, while acquitting seven others in the sensational Suriyanelli rape case.

Of the 35 accused in the case, five had died during the pendency of trial. While Dharmarajan was sentenced to life, the remaining were sentenced to varying terms of rigorous imprisonment up to 13 years and fine by a division bench, comprising justices K T Sankaran and M L Joseph Francis, which delivered the judgement on separate appeals filed by the accused.