Justice for Pramodini! Prime accused held after 8 years of acid attack

Bhubaneswar: Hope of justice has finally come alive for Pramodini Roul as Odisha Police have managed to arrest two persons including the prime accused Santosh Bedanta in connection with the 2009 acid attack case.

Santosh, an Indian Army Jawan posted at Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested by a special team of Jagatsinghpur police from Kolkata.

Apart from Santosh, police have also arrested his associate Biswajit Dalsinghray from Nayagarh.

Biswajit had assisted Santosh in execution of the acid attack on Pramodini at Tirtol over a suspected one-sided love affair, some eight years back.

Sources said, Pramodini was 16-years-old when the prime accused Santosh threw acid on her when she was returning to her uncle’s house on April 18, 2009.

Also Read: 8 years on, justice eludes acid attack victim

Following the incident, Pramodini underwent treatment and series of surgeries at SCB Medical College and Hospital for long. But she lost her eyesight in the acid attack.

Though Pramodini’s family moved from pillar to post to seek justice and arrest of the prime accused, police had earlier failed to nab him.

The case was even closed in 2012 citing ‘No Clue’. However, after getting concrete intelligence and evidence, Jagatsinghpur district police had moved court for reopening the case in August 2017.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team had visited Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir where the prime accused Santosh was posted. But he had reportedly left Kashmir and was hiding in Kolkata.

Following his arrest, Santosh has been brought to Odisha and would be taken on remand after he is produced before court today.