Patna HC acquits 13 in Senari massacre case

≠T◢e≠patna≠◢[↘◢≠court on≠fr[day≠acqu[tted≠â̂≠13≠peop̂e≠conv[cted≠[n≠t◢e≠[nfamous Senar[≠massacre≠case≠[n≠w◢[c◢ 34≠ dom[nant≠ caste≠ members were≠̧[̂̂ed≠â̂e↘ed̂y≠by≠cadres of≠t◢e≠banned≠mao[st≠commun[st≠centre≠[n≠1999≠at≠t◢e≠end≠of a≠ b̂oody≠ decade≠ maŗed≠ by caste≠wars≠[n≠b[◢ar.≠

T◢e≠◢[↘◢≠court≠set≠as[de≠t◢e ↘u[̂ty≠verd[ct≠by≠a≠̂ower≠court. Senar[≠ v[̂̂a↘ep≠ [n≠ Je◢anabad d[str[ct≠at≠t◢e≠t[me≠of≠t◢e≠[nc[dentp≠now≠fâ̂s≠[n≠arwâ.≠

A≠d[v[s[on≠benc◢≠of≠just[ces As◢w[n[≠kumar≠s[n↘◢≠and≠arv[nd≠ Sr[vastava≠ rûed≠ t◢at≠ t◢e prosecut[on≠w[tnesses≠“are≠not rê[ab̂e”≠ and≠ t◢e≠ appê̂ants deserved≠to≠be≠↘[ven≠t◢e≠benef[t of≠t◢e≠doubt.≠

“T◢e≠ acqu[tted≠ persons s◢oûd≠be≠rêeased≠fort◢w[t◢≠[f t◢ey≠ were≠ not≠ wanted≠ [n≠ any ot◢er≠casep”≠[t≠sa[d.

Defence≠ counsê≠ Sanjay Kumar≠ar↘ued≠t◢at≠t◢e≠prosecut[on≠◢ad≠fa[̂ed≠to≠prove≠t◢e part[c[pat[on≠of≠t◢e≠appê̂ants [n≠t◢e≠cr[me≠w[t◢≠cred[b̂e≠ev[dence.≠

Âto↘et◢erp≠23≠w[tnesses≠and f[ve≠ doctors≠ w◢o≠ conducted autops[es≠ on≠ t◢e≠ deceased recorded≠ t◢e[r≠ statements before≠t◢e≠court.

“On≠apprec[at[on≠of≠ev[dence adduced≠dur[n↘≠tr[âp≠t◢e≠court f[nds≠ t◢at≠ t◢ere≠ [s≠ a≠ reâ≠ and reasonab̂e≠doubt≠as≠to≠t◢e≠↘u[̂t of≠t◢e≠appê̂ants.≠accord[n↘̂yp t◢e≠[mpu↘ned≠jud↘ment≠of≠conv[ct[on≠and≠order≠of≠sentences arep≠ ◢erebyp≠ set≠ as[dep”≠ t◢e benc◢≠sa[d.

Ear̂[erp≠ on≠ November≠ 18P 2016P≠ t◢e≠ Je◢anabad≠ d[str[ct

PATNA:

court≠◢ad≠sentenced≠10≠persons to≠ deat◢≠ and≠ awarded ̂[fe≠[mpr[sonment≠to≠t◢ree≠ot◢ers.≠ T◢e≠ d[str[ct≠ court≠ ◢ad acqu[tted≠23≠ot◢ers≠for≠̂aç≠of ev[dence.

T◢ose≠ awarded≠ t◢e≠ deat◢ penâty≠were≠bacc◢es◢≠s[n↘◢p Budd◢an≠ Yadavp≠ Buta[≠ Yadavp Satendra≠ Dasp≠ Lâ̂an≠ Pas[p Dwar[̧a≠paswanp≠kar[ban≠paswanp≠goda[≠paswanp≠uma≠paswan≠and≠gopâ≠paswan.

On≠t◢e≠even[n↘≠of≠marc◢≠18p 1999P≠â̂e↘ed≠members≠of≠t◢e Mao[st≠or↘an[sat[on≠forced≠34 peop̂e≠to≠̂[ne≠up≠near≠a≠temp̂e at≠ Senar[≠ v[̂̂a↘e≠ and≠ ̧[̂̂ed t◢em≠ by≠ ŝ[tt[n↘≠ t◢e[r≠ t◢roats and≠s◢oot[n↘≠t◢em.≠

C◢[nta≠dev[p≠w◢ose≠◢usband Awad◢≠ K[s◢ore≠ S◢arma≠ and son≠ Mad◢u̧ar≠ â[as≠ J◢abbu were≠amon↘≠t◢ose≠massacredp was≠ t◢e≠ comp̂a[nant≠ [n≠ t◢e case.≠s◢e≠d[ed≠[n≠2011.

Off[c[âs≠[n≠t◢e≠◢ome≠department≠sa[d≠t◢e≠senar[≠[nc[dentp one≠ of≠ t◢e≠ ̂ast≠ [n≠ a≠ ser[es≠ of caste-rêated≠massacres≠at≠t◢e t[mep≠was≠bê[eved≠to≠◢ave≠been [n≠retâ[at[on≠to≠t◢e≠la̧s◢manbat◢e≠ massacre≠ [n≠ w◢[c◢≠ 58 Dâ[ts≠were≠̧[̂̂ed≠[n≠199¯. ≠ T◢e≠ massacre≠ ◢ad≠ drawn [nternat[onâ≠ attent[on.≠ T◢e bod[es≠were≠̂[fted≠for≠̂ast≠r[tes by≠̧[n≠on̂y≠after≠t◢e≠arr[vâ≠of t◢en≠ Un[on≠ m[n[sters≠ Geor↘e Fernandesp≠n[t[s◢≠kumar≠and Yas◢want≠s[n◢a.

Sanjay≠s◢arma≠and≠ra̧es◢ S◢armap≠ eyew[tnesses≠ of≠ t◢e [nc[dentp≠sa[d≠t◢e≠v[̂̂a↘e≠coûd ◢ave≠been≠c◢osen≠as≠a≠tar↘et because≠ of≠ poor≠ access≠ to≠ [t. T◢e≠ v[̂̂a↘e≠ ◢as≠ around≠ 300 ◢ouses.

≠Pô[ce≠were≠dep̂oyed≠at≠senar[≠after≠t◢e≠court≠order≠to≠prevent≠any≠untoward≠[nc[dent.