Udupi court acquits alleged Naxalite Horle Saroja

Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 25 Sep 2013: After undergoing imprisonment for four years six months, alleged Naxalite Horle Saroja (25) was released from Mangalore District Jail on Wednesday after Udupi District and Sessions court acquitted her in the last of 22 cases she was booked under. She underwent the imprisonment pertaining to only two cases.

 

Saroja said she will continue to be a part of the social movements for people’s rights as that was only the mode left to get justice to deprived people. "Police foisted false cases on me. The prison sentence was nothing but sheer torture both mental and physical for no fault of mine," Saroja said. "The only fault was that i lived in a Naxal prone area. Now that I’m free i will go to Shimoga and will look after my child (four year old Sumanth Mahapriya), who is studying in Std II," she said.

 

Saroja’s husband Suresh Naik, who also underwent two and a half years of prison sentence and was released in 2012, said: the judgement was bitter sweet. I’m happy that she has been released, but sad about the agony she went through. I’m planning to bring out a book based on the letters she wrote to me in the 18 months. They bring out her pain and anguish in the prison," he said. Both were arrested by the Anti Naxal Force on May 11, 2009 on various charges like indulging in unlawful activities and violence.

 

Quoting Blackstone’s formulation that "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer", Suresh said these kind of incidents may trigger unlawful activities from those who have suffered. "The government should stop this farce of putting innocent behind bars. We are not planning to sue anyone for the harassment we have undergone," he added.