Bhubaneswar, (Orissa Today), May 23: After spending nearly 10 months in jail, former Chhatrapur MLA Nagireddi Narayan Reddy, a key accused in the killing of a policeman in Odisha’s Ganjam district, was released on Tuesday following bail granted by the Orissa High Court.
Two of his accomplices were also granted bail. Sources indicate that ten others, who were previously sentenced to life imprisonment along with Reddy, are expected to be released from jail on Thursday.
In August 2023, a district court sentenced the former CPI MLA and 12 others to life imprisonment for their involvement in the death of Reserve Police Inspector Binoba Meher during a clash in June 1998 over land acquisition for a Tata Steel plant.
Reddy, who represented the Chhatrapur assembly constituency from 2004-2009, had previously stated that he and the other convicts would challenge the verdict in higher courts.
The incident occurred on June 18, 1998, during a clash between agitators and police at a meeting called by the administration in Sindhigaon village. Meher was killed in the confrontation, leading to charges under Section 302 of the IPC against Reddy and 22 others, of whom eight have since died.
