PUJA COMMITTEE ROW
Cuttack, May 20: The additional sessions court-II Wednesday sentenced five accused in the Seikhbazar-Cuttack Chandi road puja committee ex-secretary Keshab Chandra Behera murder case to life imprisonment. Sessions judge Bidyut Kumar Mishra also slapped a penalty of Rs 10,000 each on them.
Those would undergo life imprisonment are: Biswanath Behera, Keshab Behera, Debaraj Behera, Subhranshu Das and Sheik Sayeed. The court however acquitted three other accused — Prakash Behera, Dinabandhu Behera and Muna – saying there was lack of evidence against them and discrepancy in the statements of the witnesses.
Heavy security was evident outside the court premises, this being a sensational and high-profile murder case. Lalbag police took the five convicts to the Choudwar jail amid tight security.
According to case details, Keshab was holding multiple positions. He was president of Cuttack Mahanagar Yadav Mahasabha and also vice president of Cuttack Mahanagar peace committee. He had an upper hand in the auction of prasad stalls of Chandi mandir and the diya stand there. He was also doing the auction of cycle stands for Barabati cricket matches and Baliyatra fair. Some people, who were being deprived of the contracts, hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Keshab.
It was July 7, 2013 when miscreants on three motorcycles opened seven rounds of fire at Keshab near Chandi Mandir. Keshab was rushed to a private hospital at CDA where doctors declared him dead. Keshab had received bullets on his chest and stomach. The incident followed widespread violence in the area. Lalbag police registered a case and started an investigation.
