Odisha gangster Raja Acharya’s bail plea rejected; to remain in jail

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack/Bhubaneswar, Apr 26:

Prospects of gangster Sandeep Acharya alias Raja Acharya’s release from Jharpada Special Jail turned bleak after Orissa High Court today rejected his bail plea in connection with a 2010 case pertaining to the abduction of Jyote Motors manager and extortion of money from him.

Earlier, Additional District Judge Court Bhubaneswar had rejected the gangster’s bail plea in the case on March 15 last, which he had challenged in the High Court.

On the other hand, the Twin City Commissionerate police will be soon moving the Supreme Court seeking to quash Raja’s bail in the judo coach Biranchi Das murder case.

Sources said Twin City police Commissioner Y B Khurania has written to the Home department of the state government in this regard.

Notably, Raja was granted bail by the District and Sessions court, Khurda on March 14 in judo coach Biranchi Das murder case against a surety of Rs 1 lakh.

The court had laid conditions that Raja wouldn’t terrorize the witnesses. He was required to surrender his passport before the concerned court and won’t travel abroad.

Besides, he was required to inform the concerned police station prior to embarking on any travel plan

Raja’s counsel had moved the Supreme Court seeking bail which granted the prayer directing the former to approach the lower court for bail. Following this, the bail plea was moved in the District and Sessions court Khurda.

Raja was convicted in the murder of judo coach Biranchi Das and is serving the life term in Jharpada jail since 2008.

Raja was arrested from Goa on May 28, 2008. The Bhubaneswar District and Sessions Court convicted Raja in the case and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

However, Raja had petitioned the High Court challenging the lower court’s verdict. Since the matter did not come up for hearing in the High Court, Raja had moved the Supreme Court which granted him bail on March 10.