9 Sentenced to Life in Mahanga Double Murder Case; 1 Acquitted

Cuttack: In a significant verdict in the Mahanga double murder case, the Salepur Additional District Judge (ADJ) Court sentenced nine individuals to life imprisonment on Wednesday. However, due to insufficient evidence, one of the accused, Arabinda Khuntia, was acquitted.

The case revolves around the brutal killings of BJP leader Kulamani Baral, the former block chairman of Mahanga and his associate Dibyasingha Baral, on January 2, 2021. The duo was attacked and killed by unknown assailants while returning home on a motorbike. Later, the main accused, Prafulla Biswal, was found dead under mysterious circumstances.

The Mahanga double murder case sparked a political uproar, with the BJP accusing former BJD Minister Pratap Jena of being involved in the murders. The family of the deceased also alleged that the murders were carried out under Jena’s orders.

Initially, the family’s FIR named 13 individuals, leading to the arrest of 10. Pratap Jena was later included in the case, which remains sub-judice in the Orissa High Court.