BJP MLA jailed for Kandhamal riots

BERHAMPUR: In a major embarrassment to the BJP, a party legislator was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by a fast track court for murder during the anti-Christian riots in Kandhamal district of Orissa in 2008.

G Udayagiri MLA Manoj Pradhan (30), along with his accomplice, Prafulla Mallick, was convicted of a murdering Parikhit Digal, a Christian resident of Barepanga village under the Raikia police station on August 27, 2008. Fast track court-I judge Sovan Das also fined Pradhan and Mallick Rs 5,000 each.

Sectarian clashes had erupted in Kandhamal shortly after the killing of senior VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati at his Jalespeta ashram on August 23, 2008. Around 40 people were killed and many houses damaged in the spiral of violence that followed.

Security was tightened in Phulbani and G Udyagiri towns in Kandhamal district after the judgment was pronounced.

Pradhan, a first-time MLA, was sentenced under Section 326 (making severe injury to a person, which caused his death) and Section 148 (unlawful assembly).

The BJP MLA said he would appeal against the verdict. "I will challenge the verdict in a higher court," he said, before being taken to Phulbani jail. "The people of my constituency know what I am. I have full faith in the judiciary."

Five riot-related cases, including three murders, are also pending against Pradhan. Earlier, he had been acquitted in five other cases.

Despite his role in the riots, Pradhan was elected from the G Udayagiri constituency in the 2009 Assembly elections which he fought from behind bars. He defeated Congress candidate Ajayanti Pradhan by over 30,000 votes.

'Sangh parivar activists involved in Kandhamal riot' - Zee news

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Bhubaneswar: Members of the Sangh parivar were involved in the communal violence in Kandhamal which claimed at least 38 lives besides causing damage to 4640 houses, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Monday.

"It is learnt from investigation into the riot cases that the members of RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal were involved in the violence that took place last year," Patnaik told the Assembly while replying to a question by a CPI member.

Sangh Parivar activists were arrested in this connection. Of them 85 were of the RSS and 321 members of VHP were rounded up on charge of riot. The number of Bajrang Dal workers arrested on charge of violence was 118, he said.

At least 27 persons allegedly involved in the riots were still in jails, the Chief Minister said.

He said house damage and house burning incidents were reported from at least 13 police station areas in Kandhamal.

To another question, Patnaik said the commission of inquiry probing the violence in Kandhamal after the killing of VHP leader Laxamananda Saraswati had so far received affidavits of 383 persons and examined at least 34 government officials.