By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The crime branch of Orissa police Friday filed a charge sheet against seven people for the murder of a Hindu leader that triggered communal violence in the state during August-September last year, an official said.
The charge sheet was filed in the court of the sub-divisional judicial magistrate at Baliguda in Kandhamal district, a senior crime branch official told IANS on telephone.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and his four aides were killed Aug 23 at his Jaleshpata ashram in Kandhamal, about 200 km from here. Maoists were later accused by the police for the killings.
Some Hindu organisations, which held Christians responsible for the crime, launched attacks on them. Thousands of Christians were forced to flee their homes and at least 38 people were killed in the violence.
“Investigations will, however, continue and we may go for some more arrests in the case and file a final charge sheet later,” he said.