BJP leader Pitabas Panda murder: Family urges Odisha govt for exemplary action against ‘real mastermind’

Nine days after the shocking murder of senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabas Panda in Berhampur, his family has voiced frustration over the delay in the investigation.

Poornachandra Panda, younger brother of the senior advocate, directly appealed to the state government and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to expedite the probe and apprehend the masterminds behind the killing.

“Police have said that the probe is on and details will be revealed soon. We have full faith in the government, but there indeed is a delay in the probe's progress. We would request the state government and the Chief Minister to expedite the probe and find the actual mastermind behind his (Pitabas') murder,” said Poornachandra Panda.

In that interaction, he stated that the one who had fired the shots may not have been the actual mastermind. However, he ruled out any enmity Pitabas may have been facing in recent times.

I believe the mastermind was someone else. I met him even the evening before he was shot; he appeared calm and normal. There is no reason to suspect he was in any trouble,” Poornachandra told OTV., while urging authorities to take exemplary action against the main conspirators.

Investigation Reaches Critical Stage

Meanwhile, Berhampur police have intensified their investigation, citing concrete leads obtained from CCTV footage and ongoing interrogations. A special investigation team has examined over 60 recordings from the area, successfully tracking movements of suspected individuals linked to the murder that occurred on October 6.

Authorities are particularly scrutinising a luxury car repeatedly seen along Panda’s regular route on the night of the attack, believing it may have been used by the assailants before and after the incident. Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M stated that cross-verification of witness statements and CCTV analysis is helping narrow down potential suspects.

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Suspects Under Interrogation

Police confirmed that five to six individuals remain under close scrutiny, with three persons detained this week, including a CISF jawan, whose involvement is still being investigated.

More than 50 individuals, including eyewitnesses, professional associates, and neighbourhood residents, have been questioned so far. Police have not ruled out connections outside Odisha, citing the planned and calculated nature of the killing.