Pitabas Panda murder case: Slain advocate’s wife alleges death threats; legal battle deepens in Berhampur

Nearly a month after the murder of advocate Pitabas Panda, fresh tension has gripped his family as his wife has alleged that she and her son are receiving death threats from unidentified callers.

The threats, reportedly made over two phone calls from the same number, included abusive language and alleged remarks in favour of the prime accused and former BJD MLA Bikram Panda.

Sources reported that, according to the complaint filed at the local police station, one of the calls was first received by Pitabas’s son, who was allegedly abused and warned of death if the family continued to pursue the case.

In another, the same caller dialled Panda’s wife and allegedly threatened to kill them. The caller also reportedly told her that she and her son were now in a vulnerable position and would be the next target after Pitabas’ death.

The development comes days after Pitabas’s younger brother, Purna Chandra Panda, had also claimed to have received threat calls on the day of the crime scene recreation. Police officials have assured security to the family but declined to issue any formal comment.

So far, 16 people have been arrested in connection with the case, which continues to draw public and legal scrutiny.

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Scene Recreation In Berhampur

Earlier this week, Berhampur police carried out a detailed reconstruction of the crime scene as part of the investigation into the killing. Under tight security, the two prime shooters, identified as Kurupati and Chintu, demonstrated before investigators how Pitabas Panda was shot dead on the night of October 6.

According to sources, the accused re-enacted how they had called out to Pitabas from behind before opening fire, replicating the sequence of events that led to his death. The reconstruction was conducted in the presence of police officers and forensic teams to verify the trajectory of the bullets and establish the exact sequence of the incident.

Meanwhile, the legal fraternity in Berhampur remains sharply divided over the case. On Friday, 209 lawyers filed a petition in the Berhampur SDJM Court against former MLA and prime accused Bikram Panda. The filing followed earlier support from over 40 lawyers who had submitted bail applications in favour of Bikram.