Bhubaneswar: The police have cracked the murder case of photographer Rajesh Pani in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district and arrested the prime accused in this connection.

The photographer’s body was found in a pond in Kamakhyanagar area of Dhenkanal in November last year.

Rajesh, a resident of Saanda village under Parjang police limits, went missing from a wedding party at Muktapasi village under Kamakhyanagar police limits on November 14, 2025.

His body was found floating in a pond near a mutt in the locality the next day. The Kamakhyanagar police had registered a case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the photographer’s family and launched a probe into the incident.

The police on Sunday arrested prime accused Sampad Sahoo of Jagatsinghpur and revealed the motive behind the murder of the photographer.

“Sahoo had killed Rajesh to loot the latter’s gold chain, ring and costly camera. He had murdered Rajesh by offering him spiked cold drink,” said Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar.

The police have seized Rs 12,000 in cash, mobile phone and five SIM cards among other things from Sahoo. The cops had earlier arrested a person in connection with the incident. “The prime accused has been produced in a local court,” added the SP.