Odisha court acquits Maoist leader Azad in 2008 Swami Laxmanananda murder case
Rao has been in judicial custody in a Bhubaneswar jail since his arrest by Odisha Police in 2010. HT has reviewed the judgement
An Odisha court has cleared Maoist leader Duna Kesaba Rao, also known as “Azad,” of the 2008 murder of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. The court ruled that suspicion alone cannot substitute proof. Rao, 45, was acquitted of charges including murder, criminal conspiracy, rioting, house-trespass and theft. The court found serious gaps in the prosecution’s evidence and rejected the identification of Rao by a single witness. The trial court had sentenced eight others to life imprisonment for their role in the murder.
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