Surat murder case accused from Odisha hiding as monk arrested after 23 years

In a decoy operation, Gujarat’s Surat Police arrested a most wanted criminal involved in a murder case after 23 years. The accused has been identified as Gauranga Charan Panda alias Padmacharan of Sriram Nagar area in Odisha’s Berhampur.

The accused was arrested from Kunjkuti ashram in Mathura. Panda was carrying a cash reward of Rs 45,000 on his head.

As per reports, Padmacharan was in a relationship with a woman while he was staying in Shantinagar area in Surat. On September 3, 2021, Padmacharan killed one Vijay Sivdasa who also had an affair with the same woman. It was a one-sided affair for Padmacharan who later killed Vijay and disposed of his body along with his friends, said Surat Police Commissioner, Ajay Kumar Tomar.

According to Tomar, Padmacharan soon left Surat and went to Berhampur after the crime. Later, he went to Mathura and changed his identity to Guranga Charan and was staying in an ashram as a monk.

On getting credible information, a police team dressed as sadhus reached the ashram and continued to monitor the activities of the accused. Later, the team nabbed the accused who was on the run for the past 23 years.