A special National Investigation Agency court in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow has convicted 28 persons in connection with the murder of a 22-year-old man during a communal clash in Kasganj in 2018, The Hindu reported on Thursday.

Special Additional District and Session Judge Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi also acquitted two persons in the killing of the man, identified as Chandan Gupta, due to insufficient evidence.

The court is expected to announce the sentence on Friday, according to The Hindu.

The case pertains to the violence that broke out in Kasganj on January 26, 2018 when a group of men riding bikes, believed to be associated with Hindutva groups, allegedly disrupted a Republic Day programme in a Muslim-dominated colony.

As per reports, the bike rally entered the area without the permission of the administration. The group reportedly entered the colony with saffron flags and the Indian tricolour and was involved in arguments with the residents.

According to the police, gunshots were fired by both sides and Gupta was killed in the exchange.

The communal clashes were initially investigated by a Special Investigation Team. However, the case was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency after sedition charges were filed against the persons accused in the matter, reported The Hindu.

The special court convicted the 28 persons under sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, rioting and sedition. The Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act were also invoked.