Hindu politician convicted for anti-Christian violence in Orissa released on bail

(July 10, 2010) The High Court of eastern India’s Orissa state has released on bail Manoj Pradhan, a Hindu fundamentalist, after his lawyers launched an appeal. A prominent figure in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pradhan is blamed for a number of murders and acts of vandalism during the anti-Christian violence of 2008. The court’s ruling on Wednesday overturned a June 29 decision by a lower court in Phulbani, which sentenced Pradhan to seven years in prison and fined him Rs 5,000. “It is a mockery of the justice system,” said Fr Dibyasingh Parichha, spokesman and lawyer for the Diocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar. “One court convicts him and another one grants him bail.” For the clergyman, this decision will undermine the peace process in Kandhamal District, which was the epicentre of the anti-Christian violence in the state. Prior to this conviction, Pradhan, who is a BJP MLA, was acquitted on seven counts, including three for murder. He is accused of involvement in seven murders and seven fire bombings against Christians. Thanks to the High Court’s decision, he will be able to wait for the next legal proceeding against him as a free man.