Odisha Maoist leader writes to district court, wants to tell his story to media

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Brahmapur, July 23:

Odisha’s top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda has responded to the letter sent to him by the district sessions court here on the modalities of conducting his  interrogation by the police, sources said.

Panda has submitted a five page letter to the court.

The Maoist leader said his advocate Deepak Kumar Patnaik will be replying on his behalf in the court, sources added.

Sources said, the arrested ultra has, in his letter, argued that it would be proper to observe the five-point directives of the SDJM court during his interrogation. He has further said that he wants to meet the media and share his version on how and under what circumstances he was arrested.

However, his lawyer could not submit his reply to the court today as the lawyers were on a cease-work strike.

The district court here had directed Sabyasachi Panda on Tuesday to file his reply through his lawyer.

Meanwhile, the SDJM court in Nayagarh has admitted an appeal by the state Crime Branch to take the Maoist leader on remand.

The Crime Branch  had filed an appeal with the SDJM court Nayagarh in this regard on Tuesday.