The Gajapati District and Sessions Court Judge Gopal Krushna Patnaik on Wednesday acquitted woman Maoist Arati Majhi in all seven cases pending against her observing that the prosecution failed to prove its case.
According to Upendra Nayak the legal counsel of Arati, his client was acquitted by court as the prosecution could not furnish proper evidence against her. It may be noted that Maoists had demanded Arati's release for the release of Italian tourist Paolo Bosusco, who had been abducted by them in Kandhamal.
Arati had eight cases pending against her. The case in which she was acquitted was related to burning of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) buses at Raipanka in Gajapati district on December 28, 2009.
Arati was arrested on February 13, 2010 and had been lodged at Brahmapur circle jail since then and was released from jail on Wednesday evening.