Bhubaneswar: Sarmistha Rout, the prime accused in sensational murder case of cameraman Manas Swain, had left her mobile phone in her flat. She used to communicate with relatives through new Sim cards purchased in West Bengal to mislead the police, Crime Branch claimed in a press note, Wednesday. The Crime Branch in its press note detailed how Sarmistha and her close aide Jhuna Bhoi fled to West Bengal. It happened after Bhadrak police intensified the probe into the murder of Manas.
Sarmsitha informed the sleuths during interrogation that she along with Jhuna left Bhubaneswar March 7. She went to her in-laws house at Koipasi village under Kaliapani police limits in Jajpur. Sarmistha stayed there for three days lying to her mother-in-law that she had come to do some puja for reuniting with her husband.
The duo along with Sarmsitha’s mother-in-law reached March 10 Agarapara in Bhadrak. They purchased a new Sim card from there. The duo then stayed at Sarmistha’s sister-in-law’s house at Purusanda near Agarapara till March 13. Then they fled to Kolkata by bus from Kupari Bus terminus.
Sarmistha and Jhuna stayed at different places in West Bengal including Kalyani in Nadia district, Mayapur and Jalpaiguri. They stayed in houses of different acquaintances including Asima Das, who was known to Sarmistha’s brother. When their money ran out, they tried to return to Odisha and were arrested Monday en route Bhubaneswar.
The Crime Branch also confirmed that Manas died due to chest injury inflicted by the accused persons.
“The post mortem report reveals that the deceased Manas was assaulted by means of hard and blunt objects. His ribs were fractured. The cause of death is said to be thoracic injuries and complications thereon. Other ante mortem external and internal injuries were also found in the body,” CB revealed.
Meanwhile, police are yet to unravel the mystery behind the contents in the chip card, the probable reason behind the gruesome murder.
