Cuttack, July 21: The Orissa High Court on Monday acquitted two men —Prakash Behera and Nanda Kishore Sethi—who were previously sentenced to death in connection with a 2017 triple murder in Gambharimalia village in Odisha’s Angul district.

The High Court overturned the verdict of the Additional District & Sessions Judge, Athamallik, citing lack of sufficient evidence and credible witness testimony.

The case dates back to October 10, 2017, when Biranchi Nayak, his wife Tarini Nayak, and their 8-year-old son Ekalavya Nayak were brutally murdered in their home under Kishorenagar Police Station limits in the district.

The shocking nature of the crime sent ripples across the region, and police arrested Prakash and Nanda Kishore shortly after the incident.

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In 2024, the trial court had sentenced both accused to death, based on circumstantial evidence and witness statements. However, the High Court found inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case and ruled that the evidence presented was insufficient to uphold the conviction.

As a result, both men—who had been in jail for nearly eight years—have now been declared innocent and are set to be released from jail.

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