Orissa legislator, accused in communal violence, gets bail

Bhubaneswar, July 4 : Manoj Pradhan, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator who is an accused in last year's communal violence in Orissa and has been in jail since October, got 15-day bail Saturday to take oath as member of the assembly.

A single-judge bench of R.N. Biswal of the Orissa High Court granted him a 15-day conditional bail so that he can take oath as a member of the assembly, Gyana Ranjan Mohanty, defence lawyer told IANS.

Pradhan, who represents G Udaygiri constituency in Kandhamal district, was arrested and jailed in October on several charges including those of murder, riot and arson.

Kandhamal district, about 200 km from here, witnessed widespread violence after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23 last year.

More than 25,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs, who held Christians responsible for Saraswati's killing.

Although no communal violence has been reported from the region since October last year, nearly 1,200 people are still living in three government-run relief camps.

Pradhan, lodged in the jail at the district headquarters of Phulbani, is likely to be released Sunday.

He fought the assembly election in April from jail and was elected, defeating senior congress leader Ajaynti Pradhan. He is the only one among the new 147 legislators who is yet to take oath.

--IANS