Ten persons, accused of being Maoists and involved in the killing of a police sub-inspector and a Central Reserve Police Force jawan, were acquitted by a court in Rourkela. Additional district judge of the fast-track court Gopabandhu Patnaik acquitted them on Wednesday for lack of evidence in the killing of sub-inspector Ajit Bardhan and CRPF man Abdul Rafiq in July 2009. According to the prosecution, 30 people were arrested in connection with the killing of the SI on July 16
Maoists shot dead a police officer they had abducted, even as a Central Reserve Police Force jawan was killed in a landmine explosion during the combing operation launched to rescue him, at Chandiposh forest area, approximately 50 km from Rourkela in Orissa on Friday. The body of Sub-Inspector Ajit Bardhan, 30, who was abducted by armed Maoists late on Thursday night, was recovered during a combing operation. CRPF jawan, Abdul Rafiq, 29, was killed in a landmine explosion.
"I am the only policeman and the rest four occupants of the jeep are civilians," the khaki-clad Bardhan reportedly told the Maoists and requested them not to harm the civilians after they were kidnapped on Thursday.