Odishatv Bureau
Koraput: A local court here on Thursday rejected, on technical grounds, the state government`s application seeking withdrawal of cases against Maoist leader Ganti Prasad Rao ailas Prasadam.

"The court rejected it citing that the application should have been filed by the assistant public prosecutor (APP) and not the public prosecutor as APP was in-charge of the case," APP Pramod Kumar Padhi said.

"As the lower court rejected the application, now the public prosecutor will file the application at the district court," he said.

Ganti Prasadam who was arrested by Orissa police from Vishakhapatanam in November 2010 on charge of abetting Maoist activities in the state, was among the five persons whose release was demanded by Maoists during abduction of the then Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna and a junior engineer.

The state government had accordingly signed an agreement with three Maoist selected mediators to ensure withdrawal of cases against Ganti and four others. While four others including top Maoist leader Ramakrishna`s wife Padma, had so far been released from the jail after cases against them were withdrawn, Ganti continued to stay in the jail.

Ganti, who was involved in the negotiation for safe release of Krishna, was brought to Bhubaneswar for holding one-to-one talks with mediators who met him at the special jail.

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