BHUBANESWAR: Shocking revelations emerged as Berhampur police on Wednesday claimed the accused initially planned to murder senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabasa Panda on September 14, but were forced to abort the crime after two hired killers from Bihar had to leave due to a medical emergency.
Police said former BJD MLA Bikram Panda and ex-mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) Siba Shankar Dash hatched the plot to murder Pitabasa over long-standing political, financial and personal conflicts with him. Siba orchestrated the entire plan with help of his two associates - sitting BJD corporator Malaya Bisoyi, and one Madan Dalei. Malaya and Madan are advocates and close associates of Bikram.
Malaya took the assistance of his aide Uma Bisoyi to hire contract killers. Uma with the help of one Jogendra Rout hired Sishupal Kumar Paswan and Kundan Kumar, both natives of Bihar, besides Bipin Swain of Hinjili and Simanchal Naik of Haripriyapur village to execute the crime.
Uma and Jogendra asked the four accused to reach Berhampur and arranged their stay at the rented accommodation of one Sunya Chandra Das, an acquaintance of Malaya, in Alkapuri area. Sunya was unaware about the group’s plan to kill Pitabasa as Malaya had told him that the four had arrived in Berhampur to attend to a medical case.
Sishupal, Kundan, Bipin and Simanchal stayed at Sunya’s residence from September 10 to 14 during which they conducted the recce of the routes on which Pitabasa regularly travelled. On September 12, they conducted a recce near Pitabasa’s office chamber and Jogendra assisted them to identify their target.
Uma handed over two guns and bikes to the four accused to murder Pitabasa on September 14. The killers were also paid a bounty of Rs 10 lakh to carry out the crime. However, Sishupal’s pregnant wife had to suddenly undergo an abortion for which he and his associate Kundan immediately left for Bihar.
Due to the change of plan, Uma convinced two persons from his native village Banthapalli to commit the murder. He promised to pay Rs 50 lakh to the new contract killers - Kurupatti Bhuyan and Chintu Pradhan. Jogendra gave them two pistols, a motorcycle with fake number plate and helmets.
After the arrival of Chintu from Bengaluru, the duo stayed at a place in Berhampur from September 29. They gunned down Pitabasa on October 6 night, fled to Sitalapalli village and disposed of their clothes, helmets and the guns.
They abandoned their bike at a tea shop near Chandpur chowk along NH-16 and boarded a bus to Bhubaneswar. The duo then went to Puri and stayed in a lodge there. While Kurupatti later went to Jeypore, Chintu returned to Bengaluru.
In Jeypore, Kurupatti along with Uma stayed at the farmhouse of one Sunil Hota, a close associate of Bikram, for four days. The two then fled outside the state, said police.
“Kurupatti had opened fire on Pitabasa. He and Uma are absconding. Efforts are on to nab the duo and other accused involved in the crime,” said Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M.
