Court acquits two Maoists for lack of evidence

Two Maoists have been acquitted by the District and Sessions Court for lack of concrete evidences.

They are facing charges of exploding a bomb at Mattavu Cross on the way to Matlapadi in Kabbinale on July 28, 2005 and also attacking the police with bullets. Their counsel Shantharam Shetty told DH that there were 10 accused, of whom two were nabbed and imprisoned in 2009.

The main accused Devendra alias Vishnu, who had 24 cases in Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Kundapur and Udupi, was accused in eight exclusive cases reported in the district. About eight cases were filed against, him which also includes charges of murdering Bhoja Shetty. However, he was acquitted recently in the case. He is undergoing imprisonment in Mysuru and he is on bail for another murder case which was reported in Edu and involved Maoist Parvathi. In Kabbinale case, the accused was arrested based on the charges as he was involved in attacking the officers on duty and conspiring their murder. The illegal activity of shooting 13 police personnel and injuring them landed him into jail, he said.

Another accused N Nandakumar alias Ramappa was also arrested in 2009 on similar charges. He was the accused in eight cases in Udupi and he is acquitted in all the eight cases. The other accused in the Kabbinale incident, Neelagudi Padhmanabha, has five cases against him  pending for inquiry. He had surrendered six months ago. However, he is acquitted in Kabbinale case. He will not come out due to other pending cases. Devendra and Nandakumar will be released from the jail tomorrow, the advocate said.