Berhampur: Odisha Police Wednesday arrested 12 people, including former MLA and BJD’s Ganjam district president Bikram Panda, for the murder of BJP leader and advocate Pitabas Panda, officials said.
Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M told reporters that the murder was the result of “political rivalry, personal enmity and financial loss.”
Former Berhampur mayor Siba Shankar Das (Pintu), corporator Malay Bishoyi, and Panda’s associate Madan Dalei were among those arrested, the SP said.
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Pitabas Panda, a senior advocate and member of the Odisha State Bar Council, was shot dead near his residence in Brahmanagar October 6.
“There was a deal of Rs 50 lakh to eliminate Pitabas Panda, of which Rs 10 lakh was paid to the person who opened fire,” the SP said.
He added that Bikram Panda had conspired to murder Pitabas Panda.
The SP said police have seized the weapon used in the killing.
Over the past two weeks, investigators questioned more than 80 people and reviewed over 500 CCTV camera clips, the SP said, adding that police have produced Bikram Panda and others at the Berhampur court under heavy security.
Keeping in view the possible backlash, police deployed a large police force around the court premises to maintain order.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, BJD leader and opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik issued a clean chit to Bikram Panda, claiming that the former Berhampur MLA had been falsely implicated by police to protect the real culprit.
Senior BJP leader and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, on the other hand, alleged that the BJD was protecting the criminals.
“The BJD is doing injustice towards Odisha by supporting the criminals and crime,” the minister said.
