BHUBANESWAR: The Commissionerate Police have arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in the murder of senior journalist Navin Das’ son Manish Anurag in Bhubaneswar on October 9. The accused Amrit Pritam Biswal of Nayapalli, and Dinesh Kumar Mohapatra and Mrutyunjaya Mishra of Kandhamal district allegedly killed 30-year-old Manish over payment of a hotel bill.
Das of Kanan Vihar Phase-I had lodged a complaint at Infocity police station on October 10 alleging that his elder son Manish was kidnapped from Patia for ransom. Police registered a case and launched a probe. Manish’s body was later recovered from Namrakani pond in Patrapada on October 10 afternoon.
Police said that Dinesh and Mrutyunjaya are friends of Amrit and had no direct link with Manish. Investigation revealed that at 5.30 pm on October 9, Manish went to Laxmisagar area in a car with Amrit, Dinesh and Mrutyunjaya. Manish then went to Hotel South City at Patrapada along with the three in the night.” There was an argument between Manish and the three accused in the hotel over payment of the bill,” Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash told the mediapersons on Saturday.
Manish had also contacted his parents over telephone on the intervening night of October 9 and 10 requesting them to send him money as he was forced to pay the bill by the accused. They had then transferred Rs 8,000 to his bank account. After an argument ensued between them over the issue, the trio attacked Manish outside the hotel following which he succumbed. In order to destroy evidence, the accused then disposed of his body in the Namrakani pond which is around 500 metre from the hotel, and escaped the spot, said Dash.
Infocity police registered a case under sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 364A (kidnapping or abduction for ransom), 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of IPC and arrested the three accused on Friday. Police have seized the car in which Manish travelled from Patia to Patrapada and four mobile phones from the accused. Police are yet to recover the mobile phone of the deceased.
Sources said Manish had neither suffered any internal or external injuries nor did he die due to drowning. Police suspect that he could have suffered a heart attack during the scuffle with the accused. More details can be ascertained after receipt of his postmortem report, said Dash. Police ascertained that there was an altercation between Manish and the accused through the CCTV footage and the eyewitnesses.
Responding to the police press conference, Das alleged that the cops were protecting someone. Meanwhile, investigation is underway about the alleged involvement of a police constable Prasanna Behera in the business affairs of the bar in Hotel South City. Behera is the general secretary of Havildar and Constable Association of Bhubaneswar urban police district. An Additional DCP rank officer is inquiring into the allegations against Behera and he will submit a report in this regard, said the DCP.
INVESTIGATION
Manish had an argument with the trio in the hotel over payment of the bill
He succumbed after being attacked by the accused
They threw his body in Namrakani pond to destroy evidence