BERHAMPUR: Berhampur police has formed six teams to nab the two motorcycle-borne miscreants who gunned down senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabasa Panda in a crowded area of Brahmanagar on Monday night.
SP Saravana Vivek M on Wednesday said the six teams comprise one additional SP, three deputy SPs, as many inspectors and other officers. They are assisting DSP Priyas Chhotray who is the investigating officer (IO) of the case.
Vivek further said police have analysed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and gathered some vital clues. The bullet retrieved from Pitabasa’s body during autopsy was also sent for test by ballistic experts to ascertain the type of firearm used in the crime. A murder case has been registered in Baidyanathpur police station and some suspects are being questioned. Investigation is underway from all angles with technical support, said the SP.
Unconfirmed sources said Pitabasa’s murder was preplanned, the blueprint of which was prepared well in advance. The two killers, believed to be sharp shooters, had conducted a recce of the area near the BJP leader’s residence at Brahmanagar before executing the murder. They waited at the crime scene for around two hours before gunning down Pitabasa.
The duo had marked the CCTV cameras installed in the area. They maintained a safe distance from the cameras and wore full-face helmets to conceal their identities. After committing the crime, they headed towards rural roads to escape.
Sources said while scanning the CCTV footage, police traced the registration plate of the bike used in the crime. Verification of the plate is underway as police suspect it to be a fake registration number.
On the day, members of Ganjam Bar Association (GBA) resorted to pen-down strike to protest the murder of Pitabasa. They also took out a rally demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the crime and `1 crore compensation to the slain advocate’s family.
The GBA members also met southern range IG Niti Sekhar seeking a thorough inquiry into Pitabasa’s murder. The IG reportedly assured the advocates that investigation was underway under the supervision of the Berhampur SP and the culprits will be arrested soon.
