Cuttack: Ranjan Nayak, one of the accused in the murder of cameraman Manas Swain has confessed to committing the crime and led the Crime Branch to more evidence on Thursday.
The accused persons Sarmistha Rout, Jhuna Bhoi, Niranjan Sethi, and Ranjan, are on five days police remand. During the remand period, all of them were put to sustained interrogation by a team of Crime Branch officials.
During interrogation, the accused Ranjan confessed to having kidnapped the deceased Manas from Palaspur under Chandbali Police Station in Bhadrak along with mastermind Sarmistha, Jhuna Bhoi, Bhagyadhar Nayak, Nilu alias Bibek in the car of Sarmistha Rout and brought him to Dayal Ashram under Airfield Police Station in Bhubaneswar.
They assaulted Manas brutally at the Ashram. Niranjan Sethi had also assaulted the deceased in the Ashram. After his death, they shifted the dead body of Manas in the car of Sarmistha Rout and disposed of the dead body under Ranpur police limit in Nayagarh district.
After disposal of the dead body, they proceeded to a place located on the side of Daitari–Paradeep express Highway, about two kilometres from Chandikhole. There they burnt the belongings like one mobile earphone, one pair of chappal of the deceased Manas, and a jute sack in which they had wrapped the dead body and saree and had thrown the spade and pickaxe used for digging and burying the dead body in the nearby bush.
Based on the statement of Ranjan, the Investigation Officer, official witnesses on requisition, and the scientific team proceeded to the place led by Ranjan today morning.
From the spot, one half-burnt mobile earphone (belonging to deceased Manas Swain), one pair of half-burnt chappal (belonging to deceased Manas Swain), one Spade, one gainti or pickaxe, one half-burnt jute sack, and one half-burnt saree have been seized.
The items were being shown and identified by the accused Ranjan. Meanwhile, further interrogation and investigation are in progress.
