Convicted BJP legislator gets bail in Kandhamal murder
March 18th, 2011 - 9:35 pm ICT by IANS
Bhubaneswar, March 18 (IANS) The Orissa High Court Friday granted bail for a second time to a BJP legislator who was convicted for a murder in the 2008 anti-Christian riots in Kandhamal district, a lawyer said.
The Orissa High Court at Cuttack, about 26 km from here, granted bail to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Manoj Kumar Pradhan on condition that he will not travel out of the country without permission, his lawyer Sarbeswar Behera told IANS.
While granting the bail, the court also directed that he will not try to influence witnesses in other riot cases, he said.
A fast track court June last year awarded Pradhan seven years of rigorous imprisonment. Pradhan appealed against the sentence in the high court and moved for bail. The high court granted him bail July 7 last year.
Kanak Rekha Naik, the widow of the man who was killed and burnt in the riots, then moved the apex court challenging the high court’s grant of to Pradhan.
The Supreme Court in January this year set aside the high court bail order, ruling that a public representative could not be treated differently. The apex court had, however, remanded the matter to the high court for re-hearing, Behera said.
Pradhan surrendered to a fast track court in Kandhamal district March 9 and was sent to jail.
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, 2008.
At least 38 people were killed and more than 25,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by mobs that held Christians responsible for the Swami’s killing, although the police blamed the Maoists.
Pradhan, who faced 12 cases for his involvement in the riots, was convicted in two for murder and acquitted in over half a dozen relating to arson and rioting. He was arrested in October 2008. He fought the assembly elections in April 2009 from jail and defeated senior Congress leader Ajaynti Pradhan.
The government has set up two fast track courts in the district to try criminal cases related to the communal riots.
- BJP legislator surrenders after apex court rejects bail - Mar 09, 2011
- BJP lawmaker gets jail for murder in Kandhamal riots - Sep 09, 2010
- Orissa High Court rapped for bail to convicted BJP legislator - Jan 28, 2011
- BJP lawmaker gets seven-year jail for Kandhamal murder (Lead) - Jun 29, 2010
- Apex court reserves order on Orissa legislator's bail - Dec 15, 2010
- BJP MLA Manoj Pradhan arrested, guilty in Kandhmal riot case - Sep 09, 2010
- BJP lawmaker gets seven-year jail for Kandhamal murder - Jun 29, 2010
- Kandhamal riots case: Man gets three-year jail term - Sep 29, 2010
- Orissa court seeks report on Hindu leader's murder - Apr 20, 2011
- Laxmanananda murder probe: Court slams tardy police probe - May 17, 2011
- One held guilty in Kandhamal riot case - Nov 30, 2009
- Two get six-year jail in Kandhamal riots case - Jun 30, 2010
- Two convicted, three acquitted in Kandhamal riot case - Apr 20, 2010
- Kandhamal riot accused out on bail to take oath as MLA - Jul 05, 2009
- Nine get jail, one acquitted in Kandhamal riots case - Mar 16, 2010
Tags: aides, apex, apex court, arson, ashram, assembly election, cuttack, fast track, half a dozen, legislator, maoists, mobs, orissa high court, public representative, rekha naik, rigorous imprisonment, riots, saraswati, swami, vishwa hindu parishad