The Rayagada District and Sessions Judge Court on Thursday awarded 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) to hardcore Maoist Gembali Chinarao alias Santu in two cases.
The court also slapped a penalty of `50,000 on him. In default of payment of the fine, Santu would spend six more months behind bars. The court pronounced the judgement after examining seven witnesses.
Notably, the Rayagada police had arrested Santu from Phulkana forest during a combing operation on May 7, 2013. The cops had also seized a 9 mm pistol, nine detonators, five gelatins and two kg ammonium nitrate from his possession.
In another development on the day, the Phulbani ADJ Court in Kandhamal district rejected the bail plea of Odisha’s top Maoist Sabyasachi Panda in the case of abduction of two Italian tourists.
Notably, the two Italian tourists Paulo Bosusco (54) and Claudio Colangelo (61), had been abducted in March 2012 while trekking in Daringbadi in Kandhamal district. The Red rebels
led by Sabyasachi had issued a list of demands for their release that included freeing top Maoist leaders.