Brahmapur: Odisha Police Thursday filed the final charge-sheet in the murder of Pitabash Panda, a senior advocate and BJP supporter, before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) court here, nearly nine months after the incident, officials said.
The final charge-sheet, along with all supporting documents of over 390 pages, was filed in the court against 16 accused persons, including former Berhampur MLA and BJD’s Ganjam district unit president Bikram Panda, former Berhampur mayor Siva Shankar Das, BJD corporator Malay Bisoi.
All accused persons were arrested and under judicial custody, police said.
“We have filed the final charge-sheet of the case, containing all supporting documents, including the evidence. If needed, we will investigate the case after getting permission from the trial court,” said a senior police officer.
In the charge-sheet, they have named 16 persons as accused, including former Berhampur MLA and former Berhampur mayor, he said.
“We are yet to get the copy of the final charge sheet. We will take further steps after going through the final charge-sheet,” said Deepak Patnaik, one of the advocates of the former MLA.
On January 4, police had filed a 160-page preliminary charge-sheet of the case before the court and opened their investigation in the sensational case, which took place October 6, last year.
Police pressed charges of murder, criminal conspiracy, organised crime, destruction of evidence, harbouring offenders and various sections under the Arms Act against the accused persons.
Two motorcycle-borne miscreants had fired at Pitabash, also a member of the state Bar Council, near his residence at Baikuntha Nagar under Baidyanathpur police station here on the night of October 6 last year. Local people rushed him to MKCG Medical College and Hospital here, where doctors declared him dead.
