Eight convicts, including a Maoist leader, were on Thursday sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life by a court in Kandhamal district of Odisha for the murder of senior VHP leader Swami laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples, including a woman, in 2008 that had sparked communal violence in the district leaving 37 dead.
Additional District Judge Rajendra Kumar Tosh, who had earlier convicted the eight persons, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each convicts while pronouncing the quantum of punishment amid tight security here at the headquarters of the communally sensitive district. In case of failure to pay the penalty, the convicts would have to undergo an additional jail term of 18 months, public prosecutor Anil Kumar Pradhan said.
Of the eight convicts, Pulari Rama Rao, alias Uday, is a Maoist leader from Andhra Pradesh, who was held guilty for the murder of Saraswati and four of his disciples, during the Janmastami festival on August 23, 2008 at his Jalsapeta Ashram in the district.
The court had acquitted an accused, Somanath Dandasena, for want of evidence.On September 30, the court had convicted seven persons, Gadanath Chalanseth, Bijay Kumar Shyamseth, Buddha Nayak, Sanatan Badamajhi, Duryadhan Sunamajhi, Bhaskar Sunamajhi and Munda Badamajhi. The verdict came after the court examined 32 witnesses and other evidences, Pradhan said, adding that the prosecution had sought death sentence for the convicts.
Besides murder and criminal conspiracy, the accused were convicted for offences, including rioting with deadly weapons and unlawful assembly. They were also held guilty under several provisions of the Arms Act.
Of the 14 persons chargesheeted in the case, nine were arrested while five are still at large. They are Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, Dasana, lalu, lakhu, and Azad, alias Tuna.
The convicted persons, after the pronouncement of the judgment, shouted, “We are innocent. The Government did not try to arrest the actual culprits. Under pressure the Government arrested us.”