奥里萨邦五十四名暴力迫害基督徒的极端分子全部获释，基督教领导人痛斥闹剧
普尔巴尼（亚洲新闻）-印度奥里萨邦迫害基督徒的肇事歹徒受审并全部无罪获释，再次引起人们对二OO七年这起暴力迫害基督徒事件的关注。今天，印度普尔巴尼法院宣布五十四名被告全部无罪释放。尽管人证物证俱在，普尔巴尼法庭以"证据不足"为由赦免全体被告。全印基督教理事会声明指出，这一判决结果不可辩驳地说明了这一法院赦免犯罪分子、沉重打击暴力受害者。事实上，同一法庭还判决七名无辜基督徒无期徒刑。
全印基督教理事会主席乔治·萨简发表的声明英文版全文如下。
Global council of Indian Christians(GCIC) is shocked and constrained infer along with the victims that there is a hidden agenda by the prosecution to weaken the cases against arsonists and looters in Kandhamal riot.The Christmas attacks in Barakhama in the year 2007 were obvious and there were clenching evidence against the perpetrators.
GCIC urges the National Human Rights commission(NHRC) to take cognizance of the large scale infringement of freedom of Christians in Barakhama and to take suo motto investigation against the Orissa government officials involved in weakening the Kandhamal cases, these acquittals are casting shadow of doubt in the minds of the hapless victims.
The Supreme Court on October,19th 2012 had sought the Odisha government's response unusually high rate of acquittals have marred victims' perception of fair trial in the Kandhamal communal riot cases.A bench of Justices R M Lodha and A R Dave was briefed
that there appeared to be a systemic failure, deliberate or otherwise, leading to the prosecution failing to produce crucial evidence to support statements of eyewitnesses. In several cases, material witnesses have turned hostile,.It appears convictions were recorded by the trial courts only for minor offences while accused were let off for serious charges of murder, arson, rape and looting.
"This high rate of acquittal explains the role played by the public prosecutor. It seems that the public prosecutors' role was not to assist the administration of justice but to merely act as agents of the State whose aim was to ensure acquittal of accused persons.A court in Odisha's Kandhamal district today acquitted 54 people who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the 2007 riots in the communally sensitive district.This was actually the dress rehearsal for a massive attack in the year 2008 against Christians.Global Council of Indian Christians(GCIC) had organized a series of protests to sensitize atrocities against Christians, including a parliament march.
Additional district and sessions judge, Phulbani, Rajendra Kumar Tosh, acquitted them them due to lack of proper evidence against them in the case.The prosecution alleged that the arrested persons had set on fire an Odia Baptist church and 14 houses at Barkhama village in the district on 25th December.The day as the president of Global Council of Indian Christians(GCIC)appeared before Justice Basudev Panigrahi Commission of Enquiry, two top state officials had testified that 2007 communal riot in Odisha's Kandhamal district was 'pre-planned.'
The officials deposed before the commission were former revenue divisional commissioner (RDC) and ex-deputy inspector general (DIG) of south range Satyabrata Sahu and RP Kotche respectively. During the deposition the senior officials maintained the riot was pre-planned and to restrict the movement of police, the perpetrators were engaged in massive tree felling on roads.
They further said "the movement of armed police in the district was severely hampered resulting in wide-spread violence which could not be controlled on time." Both the officers, summoned by the Commission under section 8-B of the Commission of Enquiry Act, maintained that the administration had taken adequate steps to prevent the flare-up in the district. The two claimed that though efforts were made at the administrative level to maintain peace in the area, things suddenly went out of control.
Besides the two officials, a constable of local armed police force also deposed before the panel on that day. The constable said that he had to fire nine rounds in air to quell a mob which was heading towards the local police station.
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