In Orissa, a sitting BJP MLA Manoj Pradhan was today sentenced to seven years in jail in a murder case during the 2008 communal riots in Kandhamal. Reports from Phulbani say, that Fast track court judge S K Das awarded the sentence after convicting him for his role in the murder of Parikhita Digal, a Christian from Budedi village under Raikia police station area on August 27, 2008.<br/> <br/>Pradhan, who represents the communally sensitive G<br/>Udayagiri assembly constituency in Kandhamal, was also accused of setting on fire houses of people belonging to the minority community and inciting communal violence. <br/> <br/>The court also convicted another person Prafulla Mallick in the murder case and sentenced him to seven-year rigorous imprisonment.<br/><br/>Both Pradhan and Mallick were also ordered to pay a fine of 6,000 rupees each.<br/><br/>Pradhan, earlier acquitted in seven cases relating to the Kandhamal riots, is still being tried in seven other cases including three relating to murder. <br/>About 38 people were killed and hundreds of houses burnt down in the violence that raged for about two months. <br/>