Bhubaneswar: Six days have passed since a cameraman Manas Swain’s body was exhumed from Badhipatna village under Ranapur police limits in Nayagarh, however, the prime accused in this case, a woman remains at large. The woman, who was the employer of Swain, allegedly engaged contract killers to eliminate the cameraman, and bury the body in his native village.
While the cops of three police districts, Bhadrak (from where Swain was abducted), Bhubaneswar (where he was allegedly murdered), and Nayagarh (from where he went missing and was later buried), remain tight-lipped about the case and progress of the investigation, sources said, the cameraman was in possession of some objectionable videos which prompted the woman to get rid of him.
Sources said a special squad has been set up to investigate the sensational kidnapping and murder case. The squad will coordinate with police officials from the aforementioned three districts where the sequence of events occurred.
It is very likely that the objectionable videos which Swain had, involved his woman employer or ‘influential’ people. The videos were reportedly saved onto a memory card which was with the deceased cameraman, sources said.
The police have intensified searches to secure the belongings of the victim to unravel the mystery and motive behind the murder. The family of Swain had initially filed a complaint with Ranapur police after he went missing on February 5. Soon after his body was exhumed, the family leveled allegations against Swain’s employer.
The woman in question, Sarmistha Rout runs a web channel and is based in Bhubaneswar. Bhadrak police are on the lookout for Rout, for her alleged role in the murder of Swain. The two contract killers allegedly engaged by Rout have been arrested and have confessed to kidnapping Swain from Chandbali, killing him, and disposing of his body in Ranapur.
The question remains, whether it was Rout who called the shots or there were other people in ‘position’ who orchestrated Swain’s murder to ensure that the skeletons remain in the cupboard. Details will emerge as the police make any statement on the matter, which is expected soon, sources added.
