Assistant Sessions Judge C. Venkatesh here on Monday acquitted five members of the Revolutionary Writers' Association (Virasam) and former member of the CPI (Maoist) State Committee Ganti Prasadam from the Aurangabad conspiracy case.
Besides Mr. Prasadam the other acquitted accused persons were -- Virasam convener Pinakapani, members -- Yamasani Surender, Chenchaiah, N. Venugopal and Ravikumar.
They were arrested by the town police on May 30, 2005 and charge-sheeted under Sections 120 (B), 121 (A) and 122 of IPC on June 2.
No reliable evidence
According to defence lawyer Gorrepati Madhava Rao, the judge while quashing the case said the prosecution could not place reliable evidence and its witnesses stated that none of the books seized were proscribed ones.
There was no evidence to prove that they [accused] had hatched the conspiracy, the judge noted.
That apart, there was no material available to the effect that all or any of the accused procured arms, men or ammunition or made any preparation to wage war against the Government of India.
No prosecution witness was forthcoming to establish that the accused persons tried to commit any one of these three distinct offences.
Mr. Madhava Rao also said that as the prosecution failed to obtain sanction either from the Central or from the State government to further prosecute the accused the Judge acquitted them from the charges.
‘Charges baseless'
At a press conference later, the acquitted persons described the charges against them as ridiculous and baseless. They said such cases would not prevent them from working on the side of the people in their struggles against injustices and repression.
“This is not the Aurangabad conspiracy case rather it is a government conspiracy case. We have been subjected to harassment by the police for supporting people's agitations. But, they cannot deter our spirit even in future,” said Mr. Venugopal.
