Berhampur: The bail applications of five accused, including former Berhampur MLA and Ganjam district BJD president Bikram Panda and former Berhampur mayor Shibashankar Das alias Pintu, were rejected by the ADJ-3 court on Tuesday in connection with the murder of Pitabash Panda. With the rejection of their bail pleas, all the accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
The development comes after Berhampur police cracked the high-profile murder case 17 days after the incident and arrested 12 persons. Police have identified Bikram Panda and Shibashankar Das as the prime conspirators behind the killing. Berhampur SP Dr. Saravana Vivek M later briefed the media, detailing the conspiracy and the specific roles played by the accused in planning and executing the murder.
According to the police, the plan to eliminate Pitabash Panda was hatched well in advance. Bipin Swain of Hinjilicut allegedly arranged for two sharpshooters from Bihar—Shishupal Kumar Pashwan and Kundan Kumar—to carry out the murder. The sharpshooters stayed on rent from September 10 to 14 in an empty house belonging to Das in the Alkapuri area of Berhampur. During this period, Bipin Swain, along with Seemanchal Nayak of Bada Gad, conducted reconnaissance and closely tracked Pitabas Panda’s daily movements, observing his routine travel from home to court in the morning and to his chamber at Park Street in the evening before finalising the timing of the attack.
Police further stated that Uma Bisoyi and Jogendra Raut, with the help of Malaya Bisoyi, arranged accommodation for the sharpshooters in the house of Shunyachandra Das in Alkapuri. However, the original plan could not be executed after one of the Bihar sharpshooters returned without committing the crime following a miscarriage suffered by his wife.
Subsequently, Uma Bisoyi allegedly brought in Kurupati Bhuyan and Chintu Pradhan from Banthapalli village under Kukudakhandi block to carry out the killing. Chintu Pradhan reportedly travelled from Bengaluru by bus and got down at the Berhampur bus stand, while Kurupati Bhuyan arrived from Banthapalli. Both were provided accommodation in a rented mess near Pitabas Panda’s house, arranged by Uma Bisoyi and Jogendra Raut.
Police have maintained that the investigation has revealed a well-organised conspiracy involving multiple individuals and logistical support at various stages. With the court denying bail, the accused will remain in judicial custody as further legal proceedings continue in the case.
