State sets up spl court to try jailed Maoist leader Azad

Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt has set up a special court to exclusively try jailed Maoist leader Dunna Kesava Rao alias Azad (52), who has remained in judicial custody since 2011. At least 37 cases are pending against him in Odisha and his home state, Andhra Pradesh.

Govt sources said this is perhaps the first time Odisha has established a dedicated court to exclusively handle the pending cases of a single undertrial prisoner.According to a notification issued by the home department on Tuesday, “In compliance with the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the High Court of Orissa, the state govt, in consultation with the High Court of Orissa, hereby establishes a court of additional district and sessions judge at Paralakhemundi for speedy trial of cases pending against D.

Kesava Rao, excluding those registered under the POCSO Act, 2012, for the time being.

”In March, the Supreme Court asked the govts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh whether special courts could be set up to expedite hearings in Azad’s pending cases. On Oct 15, Azad launched a hunger strike at Jharpada special jail in Bhubaneswar, demanding a speedy trial. He surrendered to Andhra Pradesh police on May 18, 2011, and was transferred to Odisha custody on June 1 that year.

Azad faces allegations of involvement in several high-profile crimes, including the 2008 murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and the attack on the Nayagarh police armoury in Odisha.At the time of his arrest, he was a key figure in the Orissa State Organising Committee (ORSOC) and the Andhra-Orissa Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the CPI (Maoist). His alleged Maoist activities date back to 1990, encompassing attacks on police stations and killings of officers in both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.Originally from Mandasa Mandal in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, Rao has faced charges in at least 47 cases. Prison sources said he has not been convicted in any of them so far and has been acquitted in at least 10.