The Additional District and Sessions Court at Phulbani will pronounce the quantum of punishment for all the eight convicts on Thursday in connection with the sensational murder of Swami laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples during the Janmastami celebrations on August 23, 2008 at his Chakapada Ashram in Kandhamal district.
Recently, Additional Sessions Judge Rajendra Kumar Tosh had convicted eight persons guilty and acquitted one Somanath Dandasena for want of evidence. The court will give punishment to Gadanath Chalanseth, Bijay Kumar Shyamseth, Buddha Nayak, Sanatan Badamajhi, Duryadhan Sunamajhi, Bhaskar Sunamajhi, Munda Badamajhi and a Maoist leader from Andhra Pradesh Pulari Rama Rao alias Uday.
Out of the 13 accused in the case, a total of nine persons were arrested while four including Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda are still at large, according to public prosecutor Anil Kumar Pradhan. Meanwhile, security was beefed up across the sensitive places of the district. As many as 13 platoons of forces were deployed across the district. In view of any possible untoward situation, six platoons of forces were deployed in Phulbani town, where the punishment will be read at the court