Mangaluru: The third additional district and sessions court on Thursday October 21 has acquitted Vittal Malekudiya and his father Linganna Malekudiya from charges of alleged Naxal links.
On being acquitted Vittal expressed that he was very happy to be free after a struggle of nine years. He also recollected how he had to write his examinations with handcuffs.
It may be recalled here that Vittal and his father were arrested by anti-naxal police in March, 2012 on the charges of alleged Naxal links from his village Kutloor in Beltangady taluk. Vittal has the distinction of being the only postgraduate from Malekudiya tribe. It was during the BJP government’s tenure that Vittal was first arrested and jailed for alleged Naxal connection.
While the BJP Government did not file a chargesheet, and had assured to withdraw the case, it was Siddaramaiah-led government that filed a chargesheet against him.
