Cuttack:  Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS) leader Gananath Patra was released from Choudwar circle jail here today after his release orders reached with the jail authorities from a court in Koraput district.

His daughter and son-in-law along with several of his well wishers were present at the jail gate to receive the 73-year-old leader, who is suffering from acute diabetes with vision and cardiac ailments.

Facing as many as six criminal cases, the CMAS leader was in custody for past 30 months. Although, he was acquitted in four of the cases and had got bail in the remaining two cases, he was refusing to come out of the jail on bail.

The frail and sick leader said he changed his idea following advice from his friends and well wishers.

"I wanted to come clean in all the criminal cases registered against me. I knew I was innocent and all the cases slapped on me were false. I was determined to fight these cases from inside the jail. But my deteriorating health conditions did not allow me continue my fight," Patra said.

Patra was granted bail by the additional district sessions court of Koraput last week with two conditions. He has been asked not to participate in any agitation progamme of CMAS and would not make any utterances against the government.

He said he would now follow the advice of the doctors with regard to his health conditions and shall also follow the conditions imposed upon him by the court. I would now move to Rourkela to stay with my wife, who is a school teacher there.