By IANS
Kolkata : Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury was acquitted of charges in a double murder case Monday by a West Bengal court.
The Murshidabad Additional Sessions Judge Court Monday absolved him of all charges, besides a clean chit to 13 others accused in the murder of a hotelier and his son – Hanif and Laltu Sheikh – in Behrampore in Murshidabad district in July 2005.
Judge Hem Chandra said there was no reasonable ground for conviction of Chowdhury or the other accused.
"The verdict is a victory of the truth. The West Bengal police tried to implicate me in the murder in which I was not at all involved. They arrested me from Delhi when I was there for attending a parliament session," Chowdhury told IANS on telephone from Behrampore in Murshidabad immediately after he was cleared by the court.
He said it was harassment to him as well as to the 13 people who suffered a lot in the last two years due to the false charges.
"I think there should be an open debate whether police can implicate any person with false charges by virtue of their power," the disgruntled Murshidabad district Congress president said.
Chowdhury, who represents the Behrampore Lok Sabha constituency, was arrested from his Delhi residence Nov 19, 2005 after Murshidabad Chief Judicial Magistrate A.K. Pal had issued an arrest warrant against him and his wife Arpita Oct 18.
Arpita Chowdhury was released on bail by the Calcutta High Court. Adhir was also granted bail after a week in jail.