PURI: The four-member Crime Branch (CB) team on Thursday began its probe into the murder mystery of 22-year-old Chitta Ranjan Palei, a key associate of BJD leader and deputy chairman of State Planning Board Sanjay Dasburma.
The team inspected the site near Gadamrugasira bridge site from where prime accused Jagannath Sarangi was rescued by police. It also examined the belongings of Chitta recovered from the spot and the place near Nuanai river from where his body was found.
On the day, the team recorded statements of the villager who first spotted the body and family members of Chitta. The CB officials also interrogated Jagannath, Dilip Palei, Suryakant Mishra, Umakant Paikray and Sarbeswar Jena in Baselisahi police station and recorded their statements.
The probe team visited the picnic spot where Chitta and his friends had reportedly gathered on Friday night. People who had attended the picnic were also questioned. The CB team, comprising an inspector, sub-inspector (SI) and assistant SI, is being headed by DSP Sisir Mishra. According to family members, Chitta had gone to attend a picnic with his friends on Friday night.
When he did not return home, they lodged a missing complaint with police. During search, cops found Jagannath with injuries near Gadamrugasira village within Sadar police limits. Police also found blood stains and Chitta’s belongings at the spot.
Chitta’s sister Gili Palei and uncle Purna Chandra Palei have alleged that he was murdered in a planned manner by his friend Jagannath who took Rs 3 lakh from him but was refusing to pay the amount back. After rounding up half a dozen of youths for interrogation, Sadar police arrested Jagannath on Tuesday night. Chitta’s body with multiple injury marks was found floating in Nuanai river on Sunday.