Bhubaneswar, April 4: In a significant development, the Additional District and Sessions Judge of Deogarh district has acquitted three alleged Maoists, including two women, in connection with the 2007 murder of contractor Prabhata Pradhan, also known as Mahi.

The accused—Shatrughna Biswal, Manjulata Muduli alias Mita, and Kalestika Minj alias Sujata—were acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence to establish their involvement in the crime.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on June 22, 2007, when a group of armed Maoists stormed Pradhan’s residence in Telikusum village under Deogarh police limits. The attackers allegedly tied up his family members and abducted Pradhan, whom they suspected of being a police informer. He was later taken to a nearby forest, where he was brutally killed.
The police had filed charges under multiple sections, including murder, sedition, and unlawful use of arms. However, during the trial, the prosecution failed to present conclusive evidence or reliable witnesses, leading the court to acquit the trio. Further legal action remains uncertain at this stage.

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