Maoist Leader Azad Acquitted After 15 Years in Jail, Court Cites Lack of Evidence
A special court in Odisha has acquitted Maoist leader D Kesaba Rao alias Azad, who was accused of masterminding a deadly attack on a VHP leader and five others in 2008. The acquittal comes after 15 years of imprisonment for Azad, who had been lodged at the Jharpada Jail in Bhubaneswar since his arrest.
The court's decision marks a significant milestone in the case, which had sparked communal violence in Kandhamal district that claimed 38 lives and rendered over 25,000 people homeless. The killing of Saraswati, a VHP leader, was the trigger for the violence.
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According to police investigation, Azad left behind a letter after the crime, stating that the Maoists of Bansadhar Division had executed the killing. However, the court ruled that despite five persons being murdered, the prosecution failed to prove Azad's involvement in the murders beyond reasonable doubt.
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