Odisha: Court Acquits Maoist Leader Sabyasachi Panda & 2 Others In Nayagarh Attack Case

Nayagarh: Odisha’s Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda and two other cadres have been acquitted by a court in the case related to armed attack on police establishments in Nayagarh in 2008.

The Maoist leaders’ lawyer, Amiya Patnaik on Monday told the media that the District and Sessions Court at Nayagarh acquitted Sabyasachi, Pratap Kimbika and Manjulata Muduli for lack of evidence. The court had heard the statements of 51 witnesses, produced by the Crime Branch, in the case.

In a major offensive on the night of February 15, 2008, the Naxalites killed 14 people, including 13 policemen and a civilian, besides injuring 10 others. During the daring and meticulously planned attack, the Naxals virtually laid siege to the town.

A group of nearly 100 Naxals, including women cadre, with bombs and firearms carried out the attack targeting a police training school, the district armoury and a police station in Nayagarh and another police station at Daspalla. They also took away a huge cache of arms and ammunition in a truck and a bus hijacked by them.

The Crime Branch, which was assigned the investigation into the case, had arrested Sabyasachi, who was considered as the mastermind behind the attack, from Berhampur.