Date: 
16.06.2010

GIRIDIH: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha president and former chief minister Shibu Soren came out of the Giridih sessions court visibly relieved on Tuesday after the court pronounced him "not guilty" in the murder of two villagers — 36 years ago — at Kodku village. A case was lodged on April 15, 1974.

Soren is the ninth accused in the case to be declared innocent and acquitted by the court. Additional sessions judge (9th fast track) Mohammad Qasim, read out the operative portion of the order: "You are not found guilty under Sections of the IPC. You are hereby released."

With Tuesday's judgment, Soren has been acquitted in three murder cases lodged against him at different places. In 2000, he was acquitted by a Dumka court in the Chirudih murder case and by a Delhi court in the Shashinath Jha murder case in 2007.

For the Kodku case, an FIR was filed by Bahadur Singh at Pirtand police station alleging that Soren had led a mob that resorted to rioting and murdered two villagers — Khirodar Singh and Chundi Singh — for having slaughtered a goat at Kodku village. The chargesheet was filed in 1978. The other accused were acquitted in 1986, while three died during the trial. Soren was the only accused who had evaded the court. He appeared before the court thrice as Jharkhand CM.

Accompanied by his son, Hemant, two party legislators, including former cabinet colleague Haji Hussain Ansari, Soren went to the residence of his counsel, Prakash Sahay to thank him. He later had lunch with JMM workers before he returned to Ranchi.

City: 
GIRIDIH
Source url: 
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-06-16/india/28291272_1_pirtand-police-station-chundi-singh-shashinath-jha
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