Orissa pogrom,54 extremists acquitted. Christian leader: latest farce to target victims
Phulbani (AsiaNews ) - A new trial has dragged the anti-Christian pogrom in Orissa back into news headlines: the Phulbani court today acquitted 54 people accused of having set fire to dozens of houses and a Baptist church during the violence that took place at Christmas 2007 in the district Kandhamal. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) says the verdict unequivocally indicates the prosecution's "hidden agenda": acquit the guilty and target the victims of the violence . The same court sentenced seven innocent Christians to life imprisonment, charged with the murder of the Hindu leader Laxamananada , whose death sparked the pogroms of 2008. In that case there was no evidence against the accused. In today's trial however, the court has motivated an acquittal for "lack of evidence " , ignoring the exsisting evidence . Below , AsiaNews publishes an appeal launched by Sajan George, president of the GCIC , the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC ) .
Global
council of Indian Christians(GCIC) is shocked and constrained infer along with
the victims that there is a hidden
agenda by the prosecution to weaken the cases against arsonists and looters in
Kandhamal riot.The Christmas attacks in Barakhama in the year 2007 were obvious
and there were clenching evidence against the perpetrators.
GCIC urges the National Human Rights commission(NHRC) to take cognizance of the large scale infringement of freedom of Christians in Barakhama and to take suo motto investigation against the Orissa government officials involved in weakening the Kandhamal cases, these acquittals are casting shadow of doubt in the minds of the hapless victims.
The Supreme Court on October,19th 2012 had sought the Odisha government's response unusually high rate of acquittals have marred victims' perception of fair trial in the Kandhamal communal riot cases.A bench of Justices R M Lodha and A R Dave was briefed
that there appeared to be a
systemic failure, deliberate or otherwise, leading to the prosecution failing
to produce crucial evidence to support statements of eyewitnesses. In several
cases, material witnesses have turned hostile,.It appears convictions were
recorded by the trial courts only for minor offences while accused were let off
for serious charges of murder, arson, rape and looting.
"This high rate of acquittal explains the role played by the public prosecutor. It seems that the public prosecutors' role was not to assist the administration of justice but to merely act as agents of the State whose aim was to ensure acquittal of accused persons.A court in Odisha's Kandhamal district today acquitted 54 people who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the 2007 riots in the communally sensitive district.This was actually the dress rehearsal for a massive attack in the year 2008 against Christians.Global Council of Indian Christians(GCIC) had organized a series of protests to sensitize atrocities against Christians, including a parliament march.
Additional district and sessions judge, Phulbani, Rajendra Kumar Tosh, acquitted them them due to lack of proper evidence against them in the case.The prosecution alleged that the arrested persons had set on fire an Odia Baptist church and 14 houses at Barkhama village in the district on 25th December.The day as the president of Global Council of Indian Christians(GCIC)appeared before Justice Basudev Panigrahi Commission of Enquiry, two top state officials had testified that 2007 communal riot in Odisha's Kandhamal district was 'pre-planned.'
The officials deposed before the commission were former revenue divisional commissioner (RDC) and ex-deputy inspector general (DIG) of south range Satyabrata Sahu and RP Kotche respectively. During the deposition the senior officials maintained the riot was pre-planned and to restrict the movement of police, the perpetrators were engaged in massive tree felling on roads.
They further said "the movement of armed police in the district was severely hampered resulting in wide-spread violence which could not be controlled on time." Both the officers, summoned by the Commission under section 8-B of the Commission of Enquiry Act, maintained that the administration had taken adequate steps to prevent the flare-up in the district. The two claimed that though efforts were made at the administrative level to maintain peace in the area, things suddenly went out of control.
Besides the two officials, a constable of local armed police force also deposed before the panel on that day. The constable said that he had to fire nine rounds in air to quell a mob which was heading towards the local police station.
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