Red leader acquitted in dacoity case

KORAPUT: A Malkangiri court acquitted Maoist leader Srinivas Sriramalu in a dacoity case of 2007 on Wednesday. Srinivas's (41) name figured in the priority freedom list prepared by the Maoists in exchange of Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Mohan Majhi, who were kidnapped by the Maoists on February 16.
"Earlier on February 22, the court granted bail to Srinivas in the same case and on Wednesday he was acquitted for lack of evidence.The additional district judge (fast track) of Malkangiri examined 10 witnesses," said Ram Patnaik, lawyer of the Maoist leader.
"Though he has been acquitted, he has not been released as police has implicated him in a landmine explosion case of 2005. He has applied for bail in the Orissa High Court after his bail in the 2005 case was rejected by the Malkangiri court," he added.
According to his lawyer, Srivnivas who was arrested in 2007 had been tried in six cases since then and he was acquitted in all six cases, including three murder charges.
"First Srinivas was tried in four cases in which he was acquitted. But police again implicated him in two more cases in which he was acquitted," his counsel said. Prior to his arrest Srinivas was carrying a cash prize of Rs 12 lakh in Andhra Pradesh.