By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : A fast track court in Orissa Friday acquitted a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator in a case related to last year’s communal violence in Kandhamal district, a lawyer said.
Sobhan Kumar Das, the additional sessions judge at the court at Phulbani – the district headquarter of Kandhamal – acquitted BJP legislator Manoj Pradhan due to lack of evidence, Pradhan’s lawyer R.K. Panda told IANS.
“Pradhan was accused of attacking and torching a house along with several others at Pisirama village (under Raikia police station) on Aug 27 last year,” Panda said. “The court acquitted him, giving him benefit of doubt.”
Pradhan was arrested and jailed in October on several charges including murder, rioting and arson. He fought the assembly election in April this year from jail and was elected, defeating senior congress leader Ajaynti Pradhan. He represents G Udaygiri constituency in Kandhamal district in the assembly.
“The legislator currently in judicial custody has to face trial in at least 13 more cases,” Panda said.
Kandhamal district, about 200 km from here, witnessed widespread violence after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23 last year.