Odishatv Bureau

Bhubaneswar: Even though the mastermind of the 'deadly parcel bomb' Punjilal Meher has been arrested, the focus of Odisha police is now on collection of more physical and electronic evidence.

Three special teams of Crime Branch (CB) are working on every detail for collection of more evidences required during the trial in court.

A CB team on Monday left for Chhattisgarh's Raipur from where the accused lecturer Punjilal Meher had despatched the parcel to the newly-wed groom, Soumyasekhar as a 'wedding gift.'

Soumyasekhar and his grandmother were killed while his wife Reema was brutally injured after the wedding gift parcel exploded inside their house in Patnagarh on February 23.

DG RP Sharma on Monday informed that as several important facts have come up during interrogation of accused Punjilal; efforts are on scientific investigation and collection of evidence.

Earlier, Crime Branch IG Arun Bothra, who is heading the investigation, discussed the progress of the ongoing probe with Sharma today.

"As important data from several electronic gadgets including a hard disk of the courier company where Punjilal had first visited in Raipur before despatching the parcel from another agency has been deleted. We will send them to Israel to retrieve data," said Sharma.

CB sources said several other evidences collected would also be sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad and Cyber Crime Lab at Gandhinagar as such advanced forensic investigation facilities are not available in Odisha.

Sharma further said that one team of CB is carrying out its investigation to identify the autorickshaw driver, who had taken Punjilal to the courier agency from railway station in Raipur.

Besides, the team is also examining CCTV footage of several banks and other commercial centres located on the routes taken by Punjilal during his travel within Raipur in an open-tricycle rickshaw.

Sources said Odisha police will also seek assistance of Chhattisgarh police in connection with the case in Raipur.
A cash reward has been announced for the autorickshaw driver if he voluntarily comes forward and records his statement, informed sources.

The CB team would also examine some employees of the courier agency as it is suspected that Punjilal had spoken with one of the staff and his footage might have been captured in the CCTV cameras installed there, said sources.

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