Berhampur: Police have made another arrest in connection with the murder of lawyer and BJP leader Pitabas Panda. Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M informed one Shunya Das from the Alakapuri area has been apprehended for allegedly providing shelter to the prime accused involved in the case.

According to the SP, the investigation has revealed a ₹50 lakh deal was struck for the murder, out of which ₹10 lakh was paid in advance for executing the plan.

Arrests done earlier

Earlier, the police had arrested 12 individuals, including BJD’s Ganjam District President Bikram Panda and former Mayor Shibshankar Das alias Pintu. The other arrested persons are Chintu Pradhan, Sishupal Kumar Paswan, Kundan Kumar, Bipin Swain, Simanchal Nayak, Jogendra Rout, Malay Kumar Bisoyi, Madan Mohan Dalai, Rajendra Kumar Sahoo, and Kalu Charan Bhuyan.

Police identified Bikram Panda and Pintu Das as the main conspirators behind the killing. All accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

The SP stated the murder was meticulously planned. Bipin Swain of Hinjili had hired sharpshooters Sishupal Paswan and Kundan Kumar from Bihar, who stayed in a rented house in Alakapuri, Berhampur, between September 10 and 14.
With the help of Bipin and Simanchal Nayak, the shooters conducted detailed surveillance on Pitabas Panda’s daily routine, including his court visits and evening hours at the lawyers’ chambers, before finalising the time of the attack.

On the night of October 6, accused Chintu Pradhan and Kurupati Bhuyan waited near Baikunthanagar on a motorcycle. At around 10 pm, when Pitabas Panda arrived, Kurupati greeted him and then shot him in the chest. Following the attack, they fled, discarded the firearm, and changed their clothes and helmets to mislead investigators.

The duo travelled through Mausimaa Temple, Radio Station, Lochapada, and Gurundi, before parking their motorcycle near Rameswar in Purushottampur. They later boarded a bus to Puri, from where Chintu escaped to Bengaluru, and Kurupati fled to Jeypore. There, Kurupati took shelter at a farmhouse owned by BJD leader Bikram Panda, with the help of Sunil Hota, a close associate of the leader.

Also read: BJD leader Bikram Panda among 12 arrested in lawyer Pitabas Panda murder case