Odisha court sentences 30 to jail in 2008 Kandhamal riots case

The court of judicial magistrate first class in Kotagarh pronounced its verdict in the case of assault of Atulya Parichha, a Christian young man of Bandapipili village of Kotgarh in September 2008. Parichha alleged that his house was attacked by a group of people

Published on: Jul 30, 2021, 09:39:07 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A court here on Thursday sentenced 30 people to two-year jail and fined them ₹1,000 each in one of the cases on the 2008 Kandhamal riots in Odisha.

Representational Image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The court of judicial magistrate first class in Kotagarh pronounced its verdict in the case of assault of Atulya Parichha, a Christian young man of Bandapipili village of Kotgarh in September 2008. Parichha alleged that his house was attacked by a group of people. Subsequently, local police registered a case under various Sections of IPC.

Government prosecutor Sabita Samantray said one of the accused has already died while six are still missing.

In August 2008, Kandhamal witnessed one of the most violent communal riots of the state following the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati by Maoists. More than 40 Hindus and Christians were killed during the riots triggered by the murder.

After the riots broke out, 828 FIRs were lodged of which 790 cases were found to be genuine. The state government set up two fast track courts which have now been disbanded and the cases are being heard by other courts in the district.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Home/Cities/Others/Odisha Court Sentences 30 To Jail In 2008 Kandhamal Riots Case