Bhubaneswar: Prime accused in cameraman Manas Swain murder case, Sarmistha Rout owned a vernacular web channel and a fortnightly magazine, both named ‘Sampurna’. She also tried her hands at social work by running an old age home named ‘Dayal Ashram’ in Sunderpada area of the Capital City. At regular intervals, she also organised social welfare programmes.
Now the question arises, how were these activities funded? It is yet to be ascertained whether, who provided assistance for the ashram and other peripheral social activities of Sarmistha. Afterall, it is no mean job to run an ashram in the Capital City and organise such events. Because, the magazine and web channel were not that recognised to have generated revenue for the her social work.
According to sources, Sarmistha was involved in trapping rich and influential people and extorting money from them. She did this in connivance with people in some sort of authority, enough to intimidate her victims. If sources are to be believed, in the recent past she had trapped a doctor into a web of false allegations, as serious as ‘rape’, and demanded Rs 5 lakh from him.
Some of her victims, fearing public humiliation, conceded to her demands. Working in the media sector and social sphere, Sarmistha managed to build a clout with important people which she utilised for earning money through unscruplous means, sources added.
Going by her mother’s version, Sarmistha had cut-off links with her family and was living in Bhubaneswar as a single woman. One of the accused in the case, Ranjan Nayak has confessed before the Crime Branch that Sarmistha and ex-OIS officer Niranjan Sethi had plotted the cameraman’s kidnapping, murder and disposal of his body in Nayagarh.
Skeletons continue to tumble out of the closet as interrogation of the accused is underway. However, it is yet to be ascertained whether Swain was killed for the much hyped ‘memory chip’ or there is another angle in the case. At present, four accused in this case are in police remand with the Crime Branch. More details are likely to emerge once the remand ends, said sources.
