Rigorous Imprisonment to seven persons for Kandhamal communal riots

Seven persons have been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for two years by two fast track courts here for their involvement in the communal riots in Kandhamal district in 2008.

Twenty-one others were acquitted by the fast track courts which disposed off five cases of rioting, violence and house burning in the aftermath of the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati in August, 2008.

Fast Track court-II judge C R Das yesterday sentenced seven persons to two years' rigorous imprisonment while disposing off two cases relating to house burning and rioting in G Udayagiri and Raikia area, special counsel Pratap Patra said.

The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 2,500 on each convict, failing which they would serve an additional jail term for six months, he said.

The court acquitted ten persons in a case involving house burning in Tikabali area for lack of proper evidence.

Similarly, Fast Track court-I Judge SK Das acquitted eleven persons while disposing off two cases relating to house burning and rioting in Gochapada and G Udaygiri area of Kandhamal.

So far, altogether 80 out of the 788 cases registered in connection with communal violence in Kandhamal in 2008 have been disposed off, official sources said.

One hundred and one persons have so far been convicted in these cases while 351 others were acquitted.