An Austrian court has convicted six Indian men in connection with a gun attack in a temple in Vienna in which a visiting preacher was killed

Indian preacher Sant Ramanand, 57, was shot dead and more than a dozen others wounded, including another preacher. The attack sparked violent protests in the state of Punjab in India. The main suspect, 35, was sentenced to life in prison for murder and two counts of attempted murder. Four other men, who had been charged with being accomplices in attempted murder and with attempted severe assault on the worshipers, received 17- to 18-year prison sentences. A sixth man received six months in prison for attempted coercion. Prosecutors say the men had planned the attack on the visiting preacher because of a religious dispute. The men went on the rampage wielding a gun and knives during a temple service attended by about 150 people. The attack sparked riots in several Indian cities in 2009 where thousands took to the streets, clashing with police and setting fire to buildings, vehicles and a train. Several people died in the clashes. Both preachers were from a breakaway Sikh sect which has a large following in parts of Punjab, northern India, and had traveled to Vienna to conduct a special service.