Gangster Raja Acharya Walks Out Of Jail After Eight Years

Bhubaneswar: After remaining behind bars for eight years, gangster Raja Acharya was released from Jharpada Special Jail here on Wednesday morning.

On April 20, the Orissa High Court had granted bail to Raja in connection with kidnapping of an employee of Bhubaneswar-based Jyote Motors in 2010, clearing the way for his release.

He got the bail on deposit of Rs 50,000 and two sureties.

The court has asked the gangster to depose at the Lingaraj police station every week and  refrain from any kind of criminal or offensive activities.

Notably, the Bhubaneswar Additional District Judge Court had rejected the bail petition of Raja in March last year following which he had moved the High Court.

Police had arrested Raja from Goa on May 28, 2008, in connection with the sensational murder of judo coach Biranchi Das near BJB Autonomous College in Odisha capital on April 13, 2008.

In December 2010, the Bhubaneswar District and Sessions Court had found him guilty of the murder and awarded life term.

Challenging the lower court’s verdict, Raja had moved the Orissa High Court. When the matter did not come up for hearing in the High Court, he approached the Supreme Court, which granted him bail in the murder case on March 10, 2017.

Apart from the murder case, Raja was also awarded a four-year jail term in October 2011 for abducting Arun Mantri, brother of Ollywood actress Bidusmita in April 2008.

Besides, as many as 40 cases are pending against him.