Commissionerate Police cracks Banka murder case; victim was killed in a lodge over money dispute, 2 arrested

The Commissionerate Police on Tuesday claimed to have cracked the mystery surrounding the death of Nabaghana Patasani alias Banka whose body was found after he went missing from Baramunda area in Bhubaneswar. Two persons including the prime accused Banti and his associate Bijay Nayak have been arrested in this connection.

At a presser, Twin City Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda today informed that initially a case was registered at Bharatpur police station and both the accused have been arrested after a detailed investigation.

While revealing the motive behind the murder, Panda said that accused Banti was working with the victim who had promised the former some money in return. However, as the victim Banka had not given money to Banti and also offended him, the latter killed him.

“The accused Banti had called the victim to a hotel room and killed him after stabbing him with the help of a knife. After stuffing the deceased in a bag, he hired a car and disposed of the body at Govindpur area. The weapon of offence and his clothes were dumped at another place,” said Panda.

The Twin City Police Commissioner said that the weapon used in the crime, blood-soaked clothes of the accused and the vehicle used to transport the deceased’s body have also been seized after conducting a probe.

“The hotel room was cleaned after the crime. However, forensic team found blood stains. The victim’s vehicle had been given to some other persons from whom he had taken a loan of over Rs 3 lakh. We will bring the accused on remand to carry out further investigation and his house will be searched,” said Panda.

The deceased Banka was into real estate, tractor and JCB business and the accused Banti used to help him in the business, police said.

Also Read | Man cuts daughter-in-law’s nose with knife; woman killed in ‘bucket’ attack’ by husband in separate incidents in Odisha