RAYAGADA: Rayagada District Court on Thursday sentenced a hardcore Maoist Gameli Chinna Rao alias Santu to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for his involvement in several cases of arson and attacks in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and possessing explosives.
Judge Biswajit Dash awarded the punishment to Santu after examining seven witnesses. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Santu. He also received a seven-year jail term and a fine of Rs 50,000 for possessing explosives under Section 5 (a) of Explosive Substance Act. Both the punishments will run concurrently. Public Prosecutor Ajit Patnaik said if the fines remain unrealised, Santu would have to undergo another six months in jail.
Santu was arrested on May 7, 2013 from Phulkona forest and police had recovered 9 mm pistol, 16 rounds of live cartridge, five gelatin sticks, nine detonators and 2 kg ammonium nitrate.
The Andhra Pradesh Government had announced a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh on his head.
Santu was involved in several cases in both the States, including the landmine blast near Chitrakonda village in Malkangiri district where one BSF commandant and four jawans of 107 battalion were killed in 2012. Arms and ammunition were also looted from them. He was a member of Srikakulam-Koraput division in the rank of Area Committee Member (ACM).
Rayagada SDPO Y Jagannath Rao, who was the Investigating Officer in the case, said the 9 mm pistol, which was recovered from him, belonged to BSF. The NIA is also investigating the case. Santu will soon be be produced in NIA court, Rao added.
Sources said Santu was trapped by Rayagada police while he was working as coordinator courier between Srikakulam-Koraput division and Niyamgiri Dalam of Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagavalli division. He was also involved in some cases in Koraput district.