Police name seven Maoists in chargesheet

Almost three years after senior VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati was killed along with four of his associates by a group of 40-odd assailants in Kandhamal district of Orissa, the police on Monday submitted its final chargesheet against seven Maoists but failed to explain why he was killed.

The police had filed its first chargesheet against seven tribal/Dalit Christians in a Kandhamal court in January 30, 2009. On Monday, it filed its second and final chargesheet against senior Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda and six others.

The other six are Udaya alias Pulari Rama Rao, Jadu alias Somanath Dandasena, Azad alias Dona Keshava Rao, Dasru alias Dasanna, Lalu and Lakhmu alias Madan. Among the seven named, only two have been arrested. Panda has been described as the mastermind of the operation.

In the first chargesheet, the police had named Duryodhan Sunamajhi, Munda Badamajhi, Sanatana Badamajhi, Bijay Sanseth, Gananath Chalanseth, Bhaskar Sunamajhi and Budhdev Naik.