Nine get jail, one acquitted in Kandhamal riots case
March 16th, 2010 - 8:52 pm ICT by IANSBhubaneswar, March 16 (IANS) Nine people were convicted and sentenced to four years in jail by a trial court Tuesday for their role in the riots in Orissa’s Kandhamal district in 2008. One man was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
“Nine people were convicted and sentenced to a four-year jail term and fined Rs.5,500 each in a case of arson during Kandhamal riots. One man named Hrushi Pradhan has been acquitted in the absence of evidence,” P.K. Patra, the public prosecutor, told IANS.
The Fast Track Court-II Judge C.R. Das convicted the nine people of Salesaru village for torching the house of Balusan Digal and other villagers Aug 25, 2008.
Kandhamal district, about 200 km from here, witnessed widespread violence after the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23, 2008.
More than 25,000 Christians were forced to flee after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs that held Christians responsible for Saraswati’s killing, although the police blamed the Maoists.
The government has set up two fast track courts to try cases related to the communal violence.
- Nine convicted, five acquitted in Kandhamal riots case - Nov 18, 2009
- 15 get three-year jail in Kandhamal riots case - Sep 30, 2010
- Two convicted, three acquitted in Kandhamal riot case - Apr 20, 2010
- Orissa court convicts six in Kandhamal riot case - Dec 23, 2009
- Kandhamal riots case: Man gets three-year jail term - Sep 29, 2010
- Kandhamal riots case: 15 get three-year jail term - Sep 30, 2010
- On Christmas eve, three convicted, 26 let off for Kandhamal - Dec 25, 2009
- One gets four-year jail in Kandhamal riots case - Jan 29, 2010
- Five convicted in a Kandhamal riot case - Dec 12, 2009
- Three more convicted for Kandhamal riots - Dec 24, 2009
- 12 convicted, two let off in Kandhamal riot case - Nov 28, 2009
- 52 acquitted in eight Kandhamal riot cases - Feb 28, 2010
- One held guilty in Kandhamal riot case - Nov 30, 2009
- BJP lawmaker gets seven-year jail for Kandhamal murder (Lead) - Jun 29, 2010
- 11 convicted, 17 acquitted in Kandhamal riot case - Jan 30, 2010
Tags: absence, aides, arson, ashram, christians, communal violence, fast track, jail term, maoists, mobs, orissa, public prosecutor, riots, saraswati, swami, trial court, vishwa hindu parishad