Former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA and Ganjam district president Bikram Panda has been arrested along with 11 others, including former Berhampur mayor Siba Shankar Das. They accused of planning the killing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and senior lawyer Pitabas Panda.
Bikram Panda with 11 others arrested in murder case
Police said that the murder resulted from a mix of personal grudges, political rivalry, and financial arguments between the two men, who were once close associates in Berhampur’s political scene. The 12 individuals charged with murder and conspiracy under the BNSS and the Arms Act appeared in a local court on Wednesday.
Pitabash Panda, a member of the Odisha Bar Council shot dead on the night of October 6 near his Berhampur home. Two men on a motorcycle greeted him before one shot him in the chest at close range. The homemade pistol used in the crime later found on a beach near the Ganjam-Puri border. Kurupati Bhuyan, the local youth who fired at Panda not arrested yet.
Political rivalry or personal grudges?
Berhampur SP Vivek Saravana, who led six investigation teams, said Bikram Panda and Siba Shankar Das were the main conspirators, motivated by political insecurity and financial issues.
“They hired local criminals Malaya Bisoi and Madan Dalei to carry out the plan. They also involved Uma Bisoi to arrange shooters from Bihar. A group of sharpshooters from Bihar came to Berhampur between September 10 and 14 to monitor the BJP leader’s movements.
The first attempt on Pitabas Panda’s life scheduled for September 14, but it called off when one of the shooters had to return to Bihar for a family emergency,” Saravana reported. A second group then formed, including local youths Kurupati Bhuyan and Chintu Pradhan, who came from Bengaluru. They promised ₹8 lakh—₹5 lakh for firing and ₹3 lakh for driving.
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