HC Orders Police to Probe Betticola Church for the Killing of Swamy Laxmanananda Saraswati

HC for re-probe in Laxmanananda Saraswati murder

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hc-for-reprobe-in-laxmanananda-saraswati-mu/827457/

The Orissa High Court on Thursday directed the police to further investigate the murder of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on the basis of new material evidences and immediately submit a new chargesheet in the trial court.

Disposing a writ petition by Saraswati’s disciple Brahmachari Madhava Chaitanya and another intervening petition by VHP leader Durga Prasad Kar, Justice M M Das asked the police to re-investigate the case on the evidence provided by Kar and others.

The petitioners had alleged that the police did not take into account the resolution passed by Betticola church in G Udaygiri block of Kandhamal two-three days before the murder.

The petitioners had alleged that the resolution by Betticola church had talked of eliminating Saraswati. They also alleged that a blood-stained sharp weapon found near the pond of Saraswati’s ashram was not taken into account.

Chaitanya had in 2009 filed a case in HC, alleging that the investigation was flawed as a TI parade of the accused was not conducted.

Saraswati, 82, was celebrating Janmasthami on August 23, 2008, when masked assailants, armed with AK-47 sprayed him with bullets.

The attackers had then hacked his right leg and rained blows on his torso. Three of his associates — Kishore baba, 45, Amritananda baba, 62, Mata Bhaktimayee, 40 — and Puranjan Ganthi, 28, brother of one of the girl inmates of the tribal residential school, fell to the bullets. The killings led to a communal riot in the district