Gangster Raja Acharya bail: Police assures security to witnesses

Cuttack: Police Commissioner YB Khurania has assured security to all the witnesses in various cases involving gangster Raja Acharya, who was granted bail by the Orissa High Court on April 20.

Briefing media persons, Khurania said police will keep its eyes on Acharya after he is released from jail and persons seeking police protection will be provided the same.

Acharya was granted conditional bail by the High Court in connection with the abduction of a Bhubaneswar-based Jyote Motors employee. His lawyer had informed that Acharya has got bail in all other cases pending against him clearing path for his release from jail.

On the other hand, a day after Acharya was granted bail; Khurania informed that Commissionerate Police is likely to move the Orissa High Court seeking cancellation of his bail. Opinion of a legal expert will be sought by the police in this regard and the petition will be filed after receiving relevant documents from the court, the Commissioner had said.

Acharya was earlier convicted in the high profile murder case of judo coach Biranchi Das in December 2010 and has since been cooling his heels in the Jharpara Special Jail in Bhubaneswar.

While the Supreme Court had granted bail to Acharya in the above case, his bail petition in the Jyote Motors’ employee abduction case was rejected by the Orissa High Court on April 26, 2017.

There are as many as 40 cases pending against Acharya. He was also awarded a four-year jail term by a trial court in Bhubaneswar in October 2011 for abducting Arun Mantri, brother of Ollywood actress Bidusmita, in April 2008.