18 acquitted in Kandhamal riot cases

While 10 people were booked for burning the house of Sramika Digal, eight people were booked for torching John Nayak's house. Both the incidents took place at Pipudidei village Aug 26.

Judge Sobhan Kumar Das delivered the verdict Friday in both the cases at the district headquarters of Phulbani, some 200 km from here, defence lawyer Ajit Patnaik told IANS. "He acquitted all the accused persons as the charges levelled against them could not be established," he said.

The tribal populated Kandhamal district witnessed widespread communal violence after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and his four aides at his ashram Aug 23, 2008 allegedly by Maoists.