HC acquits 4 in Chilkari killings case

Four suspected Maoists,who had been sentenced to death for allegedly murdering 19 persons,including former CM Babulal Marandi’s son Anup Marandi,in 2007,were acquitted by the Jharkhand High Court Thursday.

“No evidence conclusively proves them guilty,” the HC said. On June 23,a Sessions court had sentenced to death Jeetan Marandi,Anil Sao,Chatrapati Mandal and Manoj Rajwar.

The prosecution had claimed that on October 26,2007,the four men,“members of the Maoist Communist Centre”,came to a cultural programme at Chilkari village in Giridih looking for Marandi’s brother Nunu,who was “running a campaign against them”. When they failed to get Nunu,the four men sprayed the gathering with bullets,“killing 19 persons,including Anup.”