Pitabas Panda murder case: All 16 accused to undergo TI parade, proceedings likely inside Berhampur jail

A Test Identification (TI) parade of all 16 accused arrested earlier for their alleged involvement in the murder of lawyer and BJP leader Pitabas Panda is expected to be carried out today inside the Berhampur Circle Jail following the directions of the SDJM Court.

Earlier, the prosecutors sought a TI parade involving the 16 accused. Under the Court’s directions, jail authorities and investigating officers have been asked to facilitate the identification procedure under Magistrate supervision. 

It is worth noting that a TI (or Test Identification) parade is a police procedure where a witness or victim identifies a suspect from a group of people who are similar in appearance. It is used to test and confirm a witness's ability to identify a person they saw during a crime, especially if the witness was previously unfamiliar with the suspect.

Magistrate Supervision and Procedure

Sources added that the parade will be conducted under the supervision of a magistrate to ensure procedural fairness, with police and prosecution personnel present to observe and record witness responses.

Investigating officers have prepared the required documentation and have coordinated with jail authorities to arrange the logistics inside the Berhampur Circle Jail, as per the Court’s order.

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Family Placed Under 24-Hour Protection After Threat Calls

The identification exercise comes after the family of the slain advocate reported fresh death threats last week. Suchismita Panda, the wife of Pitabas Panda, told reporters that her family received multiple threatening calls that mentioned the name of one of the accused, Bikram Panda, and urged the family to withdraw a pending legal case.

Following the complaint, Berhampur Police placed the Panda family under round-the-clock protection and deployed plainclothes personnel near the residence.

Crime-Scene Recreation and Forensic Steps

Earlier this week, police carried out a reconstruction of the October 6 shooting. Two alleged shooters, identified as Kurupati and Chintu, reenacted the sequence of events before investigators and forensic teams to assist verification of bullet trajectories and timelines. Senior officers and forensic experts were present during the exercise.

Pitabas Panda was shot dead on October 6. Sixteen individuals have been arrested in connection with the killing and are currently lodged in Berhampur Jail. Court-authorised identification proceedings and ongoing forensic inquiries are part of the active investigation in the case.