Berhampur: Berhampur Police on Thursday filed the final chargesheet in the sensational murder case of senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabas Panda, formally bringing the investigation into the high-profile killing to a close.
According to reports, the final chargesheet, comprising 396 pages, was submitted before the court along with 16 pen drives containing digital evidence. The chargesheet was filed through the government pleader.
During the court proceedings, counsel for former Berhampur MLA Bikram Kumar Panda sought a copy of the chargesheet. Advocate Deepak Pattnaik, appearing for Bikram Panda, said a discharge petition may be filed again on behalf of his client in the coming days. The government pleader informed the court that the next hearing in the case has been fixed for July 4.
Police have arrested 16 persons in connection with the murder, including former BJD MLA Bikram Kumar Panda and former Berhampur Mayor Shiva Shankar Dash. Another accused, Rajendra Kumar Sahu, has been granted bail.
Pitabas Panda was shot dead by unidentified assailants on the night of October 6 last year near his residence at Baikunthanagar in Berhampur. The murder triggered widespread public outrage and emerged as one of the most closely watched criminal cases in Odisha.
As part of the investigation, police conducted extensive inquiries and arrested several suspects, including political leaders, alleging their involvement in the conspiracy behind the killing.
Earlier, on January 4, Berhampur Police had submitted a chargesheet running into nearly 30,000 pages before the court. The final chargesheet filed on Thursday marks the completion of the investigation after months of sustained efforts by multiple police teams.
Sources said the final report includes witness statements, call detail records, forensic examination findings and other documentary and digital evidence aimed at establishing the alleged conspiracy and execution of the crime.
With the submission of the final chargesheet, the case is set to enter the next phase of judicial proceedings based on the evidence placed before the court.
