Orissa HC grants bail to Manoj Pradhan

The Orissa High Court Friday granted bail to Manoj Pradhan, one of the main accused in the 2008 anti-Christian riots in Kandhamal.

The single-judge bench of Justice Kumari Sanju Panda granted bail to Pradhan on condition that he will not travel out of the country without permission.

While granting the bail, the court also directed that he will not try to influence witnesses in other riot cases, as reported by IANS.

"The high court granted bail to Pradhan on the condition that he will not influence the witnesses and leave the country without the permission of the trial court," Pradhan's counsel Sarbeswar Behera said.

A fast track court June last year awarded Pradhan seven years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with the murder of Bikram Nayak during the Kandhamal violence.

Pradhan appealed against the sentence in the high court and moved for bail. The high court granted him bail last July.

Pradhan was arrested during the peak of violence in October 2008. The BJP MLA had about 14 criminal cases, including seven charges of murder.

Kandhamal witnessed widespread violence after the murder of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug. 23, 2008.