PARADIP: Congress leader, Bapi Sarkhel surrendered before the Jagatsinghpur SP on Friday after a look out notice was issued against him in connection with the murder of the general manager of Seaways Shipping and Logistics Pvt Ltd (SSL) Mahendra Swain on October 26. He was arrested and forwarded to court, which remanded him in judicial custody.
Earlier in the morning, Sarkhel surrendered before the SP at Raghunathpur police station. However, hundreds of his supports staged demonstration at the police station following this and demanded the police officers to immediately release him. Police said Sarkhel is a close associate of the main accused in the murder case, Rakesh Choubey.
Apparently, during interrogation, Choubey had informed police that Sarkhel was also involved in the murder as he was present during the planning of killing Swain. The plans to eliminate Swain were drawn in Bhubaneswer, Cuttack, Paradip. Choubey had taken shelter in the guest house of Sarkhel in Bhubaneswer and Paradip, police said.