During the investigation, police arrested 16 people, including political leaders and advocates, for their alleged role in the conspiracy behind the killing.
The BJP leaders further remarked that when BJD was in power, its ministers, leaders and MLAs were involved in heinous crimes like murder, rape, organ trafficking, and criminals were given protection.
Police said ex-BJD MLA Bikram Panda and former Berhampur mayor Siba Shankar Dash plotted BJP leader Pitabasa Panda’s murder over long-standing political, financial and personal disputes.
The arrests have escalated into a political controversy, with BJD leaders alleging that former MLA Bikram Panda was falsely implicated in the murder case.
