Bhubaneswar: A local court on Wednesday
sentenced eight persons to four-year rigorous imprisonment,
while acquitting six others, including a BJP MLA, in a case of
setting ablaze houses during last year's communal violence in
Kandhamal district of Orissa.
Fast track court judge C R Das sentenced them on the
charge of involvement in torching houses belonging to members
of a minority community at Motumaha village under Raikia
police station area on August 27, 2008.
Fourteen persons, including MLA Manoj Pradhan, were
arrested in connection with the arson. The law maker and five
others were acquitted for want of evidence, government counsel
Pratap Patra said. Pradhan had been given bail earlier.
With today's acquittal, the legislator have got
reprieve in four of the 14 cases. He is now facing 10 other
cases, including five murder charges, one attempt to
murder and four cases of arson.
Pradhan, one of the prime accused in last year's riot
which claimed at least 40 lives and left hundreds of houses
gutted, is now attending the winter session of assembly.
Bureau Report