BHUBANESWAR/BALANGIR: Gobinda Sahu, the main accused in the Mamita Meher murder case, led police to certain key evidences from the crime scene in Mahaling Stadium at Kalahandi which helped them build a strong case against him and his accomplice Radhe Tandi, investigators said on Monday.
As per investigation, apart from Gobinda and driver Radhe, nobody else was involved in the gruesome murder of Mamita or in destruction of evidence of the crime. “It is a fact that the accused’s statement before the police is inadmissible but a part of his confession is admissible which led us to the discovery of certain evidence,” Northern Range DIG, Deepak Kumar told The New Indian Express.
The DIG also said that Gobinda’s statement will be recorded in a court as he has been sent to judicial custody. Balangir Police said the crime scene was detected by them hours before absconding Gobinda was nabbed from a sugarcane field near Budhipadar village and during his remand, the accused pointed out the same spot to them.
A scientific team carried out a search again and seized one or two pieces of bones and a few cardboard sheets from the spot. “Once the DNA report confirms that the remains, which were seized after Gobinda pointed out the spot, belong to Mamita, it will be evidence admissible in the court,” said Kumar.
Interestingly, Gobinda was found in possession of a mobile phone after he was arrested following his escape from Balangir barracks on October 17 night. Titilagarh police have registered a separate case against him in this regard.
Police said, two mobile phones were seized from Gobinda when he was in the Titilagarh barracks. However, posers remain as one more mobile phone was found from him when he was nabbed on October 17. Sources said, after escaping from the barracks, Gobinda walked along the railway lines, sat for two to four hours at a place, walked continuously for another four hours and then boarded an auto-rickshaw to reach Bangomunda. He managed to receive shelter and food for a day in Bangomunda. The police examined 70-hour-long CCTV footage of the 70 km stretch to ascertain the involvement of Gobinda behind the mysterious disappearance of Mamita on October 8.
Covid test date of accused adds new twist
Balangir: Covid test date of Gobinda Sahu added a new twist to the case. As per hospital records, Covid test was done on him on October 18, a day after he escaped from police custody. Sources said the IIC of Sindhekela made a requisition before the medical officer of Titilagarh sub-divisional hospital for antigen and RT PCR tests of Gobinda on October 17. Accordingly, he was taken to the hospital for tests. Titilagarh sub-divisional medical officer (SDMO) PK Naik said samples were collected from Gobinda at around 3.25 pm on October 17 following which he was escorted out of the hospital by police.
“All samples are sent to Balangir for the tests. Since it was past the deadline for sending the samples on October 17, we changed the test date on the hospital register to the next day,” he clarified. Balangir chief district medical officer (CDMO) Bhima Sahu also reiterated the same thing. Meanwhile, Gobinda was sent to Kantabanji jail on Monday. After his five-day police remand ended, he was produced in the court of JMFC, Bangomunda early in the morning to avoid unnecessary crowding of public and remanded to judicial custody. Sources said police may pray the court for taking Tandi on remand.