Kandhamal riots case: Nine convicted, but prime-accused again let off

A fast track court in Orissa Wednesday convicted nine persons and sentenced each to four years rigorous imprisonment for their role in last year's Kandhamal violence.

The nine, according to public prosecutor P.K. Patra, were accused of torching the house of Ratha Nayak of Mlahupanga village in Kandhamal on August 27, 2008.

Apart from four years imprisonment, fast track court-II judge Chittaranjan Das also imposed a fine of Rs 3,500 each.

Shockingly, BJP legislator Manoj Pradhan was again for the fourth time acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence. Pradhan was one of five who were acquitted on Wednesday.

However, the BJP leader still has ten other cases pending against him for his dominant role in the brutal violence that left scores dead and thousands homeless.

Last month, Pradhan who contested and won the election from jail, was freed in a case of arson. Prior to this, he was let off for kidnapping and murder after the "charges could not be proved".

Besides the acquittal, Pradhan last month also acquired a bail to secure his release from jail. He was one of the prime accused in the August 2008 violence and was facing total seven charges of murder.

"With Manoj Pradhan, who has charges of murder against him, released on bail, this is a big threat to the witnesses of cases against him," attorney Bibhu Dutta Das of the Orissa High Court earlier told Compass.

If Pradhan remains free, Das said, he likely will be acquitted in all other cases as he will be able to threaten witnesses.

Das lamented that such acquittals in Orissa was the result of defective investigations carried out by the police.

"This has been done intentionally, to cover-up the fundamentalists," he said.