Manoj Pradhan, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Orissa, has been released on bail, less than a month after being sentenced to seven years in prison for his part in anti-Christian riots in 2008.

Local Christians were initially relieved that a sentence had been handed down (albeit, in their eyes, far too short) but they are dismayed that bail has been granted.

Mob violence erupted in autumn 2008 in Kandhamal district in Orissa (spreading to other parts of the state) following the assassination of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on 23 August 2008: although Maoists claimed responsibility, Hindu extremists killed over a hundred Christians and burned thousands of homes, hundreds of churches and several educational institutions.

Manoj Pradhan, reportedly a "close disciple" of the Swami, has had many cases filed against him, including rioting, murder, wrongful confinement, mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy houses and causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons. Pradhan denies any wrongdoing. Intimidation has caused many Christian witnesses to the violence to fear testifying.

In one of the murder cases, concerning Dalit Christian Parikhita Nayak, Pradhan (along with fellow Hindu nationalist Prafulla Mallick) was convicted only of "causing grievous hurt and rioting". Pradhan and Mallick were convicted on 29 June and released from jail on July 12 on bail. They await the outcome of an appeal to the Orissa High Court.

Parikhita Nayak was beaten and killed on 27 August 2008 before the eyes of his wife and two little girls, then aged four and two. The older girl identified Manoj Pradhan as the killer to a judge. "I am very disappointed with the judiciary system," said Nayak's widow, Kanaka Rekha Nayak, who has been forced into hiding with her daughters. "I went through several life threats, but still I took my daughters for hearings whenever I was called by the court, risking my daughters' lives - certainly not for this day."

Lawyer Bibhu Dutta Das said that the decision was biased, claiming that "the normal court procedure... was bypassed for Pradhan. The judgment was pre-determined." He said that ordinary people don't get bail so easily when convicted of such crimes. "We will not sit silent," Das said. "We will challenge this bail order in the Supreme Court." He plans to appeal Pradhan's sentence of seven years, in the hope of increasing it to life imprisonment. According to Das, "Nearly 12,000 people are accused in the riot case - 11,803 are out on bail."

Dr John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council, said that he was surprised by the bail orders. "While it is a legal right for anybody to get bail, it is surprising that Pradhan was wanted in so many cases, and he can coerce and influence witnesses. His petition should not have been granted." (Compass Direct News)