Berhampur: Odisha Police has arrested another person in connection with the murder of senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabash Panda, taking the total arrests in the case to 14.
Sunya Chandra Das (61), a resident of Khodasing, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly sheltering the contract killers involved in Panda’s murder October 6 night.
Police said Das had provided his rented house to four persons, including accused locals and persons from Bihar, for four days.
The vehicle used in the crime was also reportedly kept at his house.
Analysis of call detail records (CDR) revealed frequent communication between Das, the conspirators, and the killers, indicating his involvement in the plot.
Earlier, police had arrested 13 people, including former Berhampur MLA Bikram Kumar Panda and ex-Berhampur mayor Shiva Shankar Das allegedly for their involvement in the murder.
Meanwhile, jail authorities have decided to shift Shiva Shankar Das to Phulbani jail in Kandhamal district for security reasons, officials said.
Pitabash (55), a member of the state bar council, was gunned down by two motorcycle-borne assailants near his house at Baikuntha Nagar here while he was returning home on a scooter.
PTI
