Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Additional District Judge (ADJ) court in Odisha’s Berhampur on Saturday.
Panda was convicted under Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Anil Sahu.
Section 121 concerns waging, or attempting to wage a war, or abetting waging of a war, against the Union of India.
Police arrested Panda from a house at Mangalavarampeta under the Badabazar police station limits of Berhampur late night on July 17, 2014 and seized a revolver, cash worth ₹2,11,000 and 800 gm of gold ornaments from his possession.
Berhampur ADJ(1) Sanjay Sahu convicted Panda under Section 353 that relates to assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and punished him with two years imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000. He was also convicted under Section 25 (1-B)(a), Section 27(1) with jail sentences and fines. “But he will have to undergo life imprisonment due to which other jail sentences have no meaning. The total fine imposed on Panda under different Sections of the IPC is ₹25,000”, said Mr. Sahu.
The court examined 15 witnesses and other evidences before passing the judgement.
Counsel for Panda said his client would approach the higher court against this decision. Out of 135 cases, Panda was acquitted in 52 cases, he noted.
Panda was involved in several major cases of Maoist violence in Odisha. They include an attack on R.Udaygiri town in Gajapati district, the Nayagarh armoury loot, the murder of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and his four associates in Kandhamal district and abduction of two Italian tourists in Kandhamal district. He was initially a member of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), from which he was expelled in 2012. After his expulsion, he formed the Odisha Maovadi Party (OMP).
