BERHAMPUR: Police on Thursday filed the final chargesheet in the murder case of senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabasa Panda before a court in Berhampur.
Sources said the final chargesheet, comprising 396 pages, was submitted along with 16 pen drives containing digital evidence. Pitabasa was shot dead by unidentified assailants near his residence in Baikunthanagar on the night of October 6, 2025.
During the course of the investigation, police conducted extensive inquiries and arrested 16 persons, including political leaders, advocates and other individuals, alleging their involvement in the conspiracy behind the killing. Among those arrested were BJD Ganjam unit president and former MLA Bikram Panda, former Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) mayor Siba Sankar Das and a sitting BeMC corporator.
Earlier, on January 4, Berhampur police had submitted a preliminary chargesheet running into nearly 30,000 pages before the court. The final chargesheet filed on Thursday marks the completion of the investigation after months of sustained efforts by multiple police teams. The document was submitted through the government pleader.
The government pleader informed the court that the next hearing in the case has been scheduled for July 4. Sources said the final report contains witness statements, call detail records (CDRs), forensic examination findings and other documentary and digital evidence aimed at establishing the alleged conspiracy and execution of the crime.