Bargarh court acquits Bhatli MLA, 3 others in murder case

Sambalpur: A court in Bargarh on Monday acquitted Bhatli MLA Irasis Acharya and three others in connection with the 2018 murder of Bulu Satnami. Additional district and sessions judge Sanghamitra Sharma found the charges against Acharya and co-accused Pramod Podh, Bablu Nag and Bunty Purohit to be false, defence counsel Sarad Pradhan said. The case dates back to June 2018 when Satnami was shot dead in Bhatli. According to reports, a gunshot was heard from the washroom while Acharya was undergoing treatment in Bhubaneswar for injuries sustained during the Bijepur bypoll. Satnami, who suffered head injuries, was initially taken to Bargarh's Khedapali Hospital and later referred to Vimsar Burla. He succumbed to his injuries en route to Vimsar. While police initially registered a case against four individuals present at the crime scene, Acharya was charged three months later. The prosecution alleged that Acharya had purchased a firearm from Bunty in Sambalpur, which was then given to Pramod. The weapon was allegedly used by Bablu to shoot Bulu. The verdict comes after nearly five years of legal proceedings, with all accused being cleared of the charges. Total 29 witnesses were examined, Pradhan said.