Dara Singh was on Friday acquitted along with
four others in a criminal case relating to looting of cows from a
truck at Bhainabeda village in Mayurbhanj district in June 1998.
Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate (Karanjia)
Prabhakar Mishra acquitted Dara and others due to lack of evidence.
The four others were Mohan Sundar Mahanta, Milan Mahanta, Abhimanyu
Mahanta and Chaturbhuja Mahanta.
Dara, prime accused in the sensational killing
of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons in
January last year, was produced in the SDJM court in connection with
a case of looting of a cow-laden truck at Kendumundi under Karanjia
police station.
The incident occurred on August 16, 1998. Four
prosecution witnesses who deposed in the court on Friday in connection
with the Kendumundi case failed to identify Dara and other co-accused
persons. They said they knew nothing about the looting incident.
On Thursday, three other prosecution witnesses
also pleaded their ignorance about the incident. A large crowd, which
had assembled outside the court, raised slogans in support of Dara
Singh after the SDJM had pronounced his judgement. PTI
