BERHAMPUR: Leader of Daman Pratirodha Manch Dandapani Mohanty, jailed on charges of sedition and Maoist links, was on Thursday released from the Circle Jail here after remaining in prison for around 34 months.
The Orissa High Court granted him conditional bail on December 1. Dandapani, who was released after furnishing bail bonds, was directed by the court not to issue any statement regarding Maoist affairs. Dandapani walked out of jail with a black cloth tied to his mouth.
Dandapani had negotiated with the Maoists and helped the State Government resolve two abduction cases in the past. He was the interlocutor when the then Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna was held hostage in 2011 and again when two Italians, Polango Cloudio and Basacco Paulo, were kept in confinement in 2012.
On the other hand, his son Sangram Mohanty was acquitted by Bhanjanagar Additional District Judge (ADJ) Bidhan Kumar Chand in a tiffin bomb case.
Sangram, who was also arrested for his Maoist links activities in December 2012, was granted bail by Supreme Court in last February.
According to prosecution police registered a case against Sangram, K Anita, Kendra Dalabehera and Bikram Malik for planting a tiffin bomb near Ramanabadi under Soroda block in 2011. Sangram and three others were arrested in 2013 and the trial started at Bhanjanagar ADJ court. During the trial, 14 witnesses denied Sangram’s involvement in the tiffin bomb case following which the ADJ acquitted the four.
Meanwhile, Maoist leader Sabyasahi Panda who was accommodated in the circle jail started hunger strike on Thursday alleging intentional negligence by police in.
According to his counsel Deepak Patnaik, Sabyasachi cases at pending different courts in Ganjam, Gajapati, Nayagarh and Rayagada districts. However, on the ground of security police are not taking him on dates fixed by the courts concerned, he alleged. Sabyasachi was to be produced in Gunupur court on Thursday but on the plea of PLGA Week, police did not take him to Gunupur, he added.