Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda was acquitted by a local court on Wednesday in a case registered against him under the Arms Act at the Gosaninugaon police station four years ago.Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Brahmapur, Pradeep Kumar Behera acquitted the Maoist leader on the ground that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against Panda in the case. Panda’s lawyer Deepak Patnaik said the court gave its first judgment out of over 100 cases registered against Panda in different police stations of State.
The court also acquitted two other accused in the case, Sunil Pradhan of Daringibadi in Kandhamal district and Aditya Moharana of Nayagarh, but issued non-bailabale warrant (NBW) against Benudhara Barik of Baliguda in Kandhamal district as he was yet to turn up before the court despite summons.Notably, the police had arrested the trio here on July 9, 2011 and seized a rifle, ten rounds of ammunition, two mobile phones and cash of `3,000 from them.