Ex-IGP gets life imprisonment in Naxalite A. Varghese murder case

Friday, October 29, 2010,  By Rajesh Gaur, New Delhi

Former Inspector-General of Police K Lakshmana, who was convicted by a CBI court for the murder of Naxalite leader A Varghese 40 years ago, was sentenced to life term.

The prosecution had sought death penalty for 74-year-old Lakshmana claiming that it was a very rare case of the police shooting a person dead in custody.

The judge also directed Lakshmana to pay a fine of Rs 10,000, to be given to the family of Varghese.

Earlier, public prosecutor, Vaikom Purshothamana Nair, urged the court to give the accused the maximum punishment of death penalty as this was the “rarest of rare case” as a common man was branded as Naxalite, taken to Thirunelly forests and shot dead in cold blood with his hands tied.

The case was earlier closed by the local police as a case of death in police encounter. Subsequently, in 1998 a constable claimed that he had shot dead Varghese in police custody under the orders of his superior officers.

Kerala high court then directed CBI to investigate the matter. Accordingly the case was registered on March 31, 999 and investigation taken up after 29 years of the incident. During the investigation, most of the documents including the police records such as FIR, Post Mortem Report and Final Reports could not be recovered. However, the extensive investigation of CBI revealed that Varghese was killed in the police custody by said constable on the orders of the then Dy. SP and the then DIG, Calicut.

Accordingly, a charge sheet was filed in the court on December 16, 2002 against the then DIG, Calicut (later DGP, Kerala), the then Dy SP (later IGP) and the constable. All of them had retired from the service by then.

The accused agitated the matter on number of occasions before the High Court and he Supreme Court praying for their discharge but their prayers were dismissed.

During the course of trial accused constable expired in November, 2006. (ANI)

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/ex-igp-gets-life-imprisonment-in-naxalite-a-varghese-murder-case_100451663.html

Kandhamal riots: BJP MLA sentenced to 7 years RI

Debabrata Mohanty, Jun 29, 2010 at 1622 hrs IST

Orissa A fast track court in Kandhamal district of Orissa today sentenced BJP MLA Manoj Pradhan to 7 years rigorous imprisonment for his role in the 2008 Kandhamal communal riots.

The judgement was pronounced by fast track court-I judge Sobhan Kumar Das while disposing of a case relating to murder of Parikhita Nayak, a Dalit Christian from Budedi village under Raikia police station limit on August 27, 2008.

The two-month-long riot, triggered by the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati, claimed 43 lives and witnessed burning of about 4600 houses and over 150 churches and prayer houses along with large scale violence.

Pradhan was also accused of setting on fire houses of people belonging to the minority community.

Additional public prosecutor B Patnaik said Pradhan was convicted under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 326 of IPC. He was also asked to pay a fine of Rs 5000.

Pradhan, the 36-year-old BJP MLA from G Udaygiri constituency, had 14 cases - half of them murder - lodged against him over his alleged link with last year's riot in Kandhamal. He was arrested in October 2008 and fought 2009 assembly election behind the bars of G Udaygiri sub-jail successfully after majority Hindu votes polarised in his support

G Udaygiri bore the brunt of 2008 communal violence as several Christians were killed and chased away from their homes by murderous tribal Hindus most of whom were allegedly led by Pradhan.

Pradhan said he would appeal before the Orissa High Court against the order. "I have the highest regard for the judiciary. I have faith in God," he told The Indian Express. 

Source: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Kandhamal-riots-BJP-MLA-sentenced-to-7-years-RI/640026/