Cuttack court acquits Dhalasamanta brothers in twin murder case
1
2
Cuttack: In a dramatic turn of events, the sessions court in Cuttack on Thursday acquitted gangster siblings — Sushanta Kumar Dhalasamanta (52) and Sushil Kumar Dhalasamanta (48) — along with six others in the 2013 twin murder of their former associates, Manoj Mallick and Omprakash Swain.
The judgment, delivered by sessions judge Sitikantha Samal, said the prosecution failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the two victims were murdered by the accused. "This court holds that the prosecution cannot establish that Dipu alias Manoj Kumar Mallick and Omm alias Omprakash Swain are dead and their death is homicidal in nature beyond reasonable doubts," the court observed.
Despite acquittal in the murder case, legal troubles for the Dhalasamanta brothers are not over, with other criminal cases pending against them.
Senior advocate Saura Chandra Mohapatra represented the siblings, while special public prosecutor D P Das led the prosecution.
The Dhalasamanta brothers were arrested on Jan 29, 2016. Police had claimed in their 2016 chargesheets that the duo abducted their associates from their Cuttack homes, tortured and killed them at a farmhouse near Athagarh, and then transported the bodies to Jharkhand, where they were burnt to destroy evidence.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Install the Perfect Pool at Home – Start Here
Backyard Pool | Search Ads
Learn More
Undo
While two burnt bodies were recovered by Jharkhand police from West Singbhum district in Nov 2013, the remains could not be conclusively identified. The prosecution relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, but the court ruled the chain of evidence was incomplete and did not conclusively prove the charges of abduction and murder.
Six other accused — Debasis Kar (47), Suvendu Das (35), Arif Khan (40), Debashis Sahoo (34), Bharat Behera (34) and Debadutta Das (35) — were also acquitted.
Two other accused, Bholanath Bhagat and Bhajana alias Sanjaya Kumar Sahoo, died during the pendency of the trial, in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
However, the court found the Dhalasamanta brothers guilty under the Arms Act for unauthorised possession of deadly and prohibited firearms. The court sentenced them to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fine of Rs 10,000 each.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Bottle buy-back system a failure in Tasmac outlets in Coimbatore
COIMBATORE: The operation of unauthorised bars near Tasmac outlets has tied the hands of employees, as they are unable to affix the hologram sticker, which is necessary for the liquor bottle buy-back scheme, implemented by Tasmac after a Madras High Court direction. Sources said almost two-thirds of the 286 bars attached with outlets in the district have been functioning out of contract. A Tasmac outlet supervisor attached to Coimbatore South, who did not wish to be named, said, "Bar contractors can take the bottles to the bar and store them and sell it to anyone. As unauthorised bars cannot store and sell bottles, those should be maintained by employees and handed over to the firm which has got the contract. As most bars attached to outlets in the district are operating without renewing their contract, bottles are not be stored in the bars. That makes employees refrain from sticking the Rs 10 hologram." "Despite not pasting stickers and collecting empty bottles, supervisors of the shops are required to pay Rs 3 per bottle to the contractor, who is supposed to collect empty bottles. Without performing their duty, the private firm receives money from Tasmac, which is borne by employees of the outlets," he added. Officials contact the supervisors and instruct them to clear the total amount, which would come into lakhs each month, leaving the salespersons with no choice, other than to collect an extra of Rs 10 per bottle from customers, he further said. A John, the secretary of Tasmac employees union affiliated to CITU said, "The buy-back system was implemented to prevent disposal of empty bottles in open areas as per the High Court's order. However, the system is not followed in outlets due to structural level failure in the administration. Without correction of flaws, the buy-back system would not attain its objective and salespersons and customers will have to bear the brunt." Speaking to TNIE, R Govindharasu, senior Regional Manager of Tasmac, Coimbatore said, "The buy-back system was implemented partially in the district. We have instructed the employees to follow the norm. I will also look into the matter."
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Cultural event at Tirumala sparks uproar over alleged fraud
Tirupati: A cultural programme scheduled at Tirumala's Asthana Mandapam on Friday descended into confusion and protest, as more than 2,000 artistes, many of whom had paid to participate, arrived expecting to perform, only to find entry restricted to a fraction of them. The programme, titled Sri Srinivasa Kalaarchana, was initially cleared by the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad (HDPP), with approval for performances on June 21. However, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) later revoked the permission after receiving complaints that the organiser had collected money from the performers in exchange for slots. The organiser, Abhishek from Khajipet in Telangana, is said to be running two cultural organisations - Annamacharya Arts Academy and Annamayya Sahithi Kala Vikasa Parishad. Victims allege that he collected amounts between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 from participants under the pretext of securing legitimate performance opportunities in Tirumala. Following the cancellation of the original event, Abhishek approached the High Court. The court, while taking note of the irregularities, directed the TTD to allow performances by 1,200 artistes, 600 each on June 27 and 28, and ordered a vigilance inquiry to be completed within four weeks. Despite the clear order, the turnout on Friday far exceeded expectations. With only 600 artistes permitted for the day, hundreds of artistes were left outside the venue, sparking protests and allegations of mismanagement and betrayal. Protesters demanded that all artistes who had paid be allowed to perform as promised. TTD vigilance and local police rushed to manage the situation and held discussions with the agitating crowd. Following instructions from senior officials, the remaining artistes were eventually allowed to perform, temporarily easing the tensions. The organiser's manager has since been taken into custody for questioning, and TTD vigilance officials have initiated a formal investigation into the incident, based on complaints lodged by affected artistes.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Madras High Court denies anticipatory bail to MLA Jagan in teen abduction case
CHENNAI: Finding prima facie materials to establish his role in the abduction of a boy from Tiruvallur, the Madras High Court on Friday refused to grant anticipatory bail to KV Kuppam MLA and leader of Puratchi Bharatham party 'Poovai' M Jagan Moorthy. Justice G Jayachandran said the court has arrived at an irresistible conclusion that for a fair investigation and fearless trial, the petitioner needs to be secured and subjected to custodial interrogation. The teenager was allegedly abducted as his brother had married a girl outside his caste from an affluent family in Theni. 'The call details collected show that the petitioner was in touch with ADGP HM Jayaram and other persons. These materials prima facie are sufficient to hold that the petitioner is a party to the alleged conspiracy,' the judge said in the order. The matter pertains to the abduction of the teenager from his house in Tiruvalankadu police limits on June 7, 2025, by five unidentified persons in the marriage involving his brother. The kidnapped boy was later let go near the Perumbakkam bus stand. Preliminary probe brought to the fore the alleged involvement of Moorthy and HM Jayaram, an ADGP-rank IPS officer. On Friday, Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran assisted by Additional Public Prosecutor R Muniapparaj, representing the CB-CID, submitted that the investigating agency has collected electronic evidence, call records, photographs, CCTV footage and recovered Rs 7.86 lakh from the girl's father Vanaraja that point to the MLA's role in the case.
