Cuttack: The Crime Branch today submitted its charge sheet in the sensational kidnapping and murder case of cameraman Manas Kumar Swain at the JMFC Court (Cognizance Court) at Chandbali.
Crime Branch DSP Kalpana Sahoo submitted the charge sheet at the Chandbali JMFC Court against eight persons who include prime accused Sarmistha Rout and associates Jhuna Bhoi, Raj alias Ranjan Kumar Nayak, Bhagyaban alias Bhagyadhar Nayak, former I& PR Director (Tech) Niranjan Sethy, Parameswar Rout, Krushna Chandra Nayak and one Juvenile in Conflict with Law (JCL) under sections 363,364,465,467,471,302,201,120-B, 212 and 34 of IPC, said an official press release issued by the Crime Branch.
A case was registered at Chandbali police station on the basis of a written report by Panchanan Swain, father of cameraman Manas Kumar Swain that his son (Manas) was kidnapped by the accused persons at Palaspur-Dogachia Chhak in Bhadrak district on February 7 this year.
The case was handed over to Crime Branch on March 23 this year.
The Crime Branch during the investigation, examined all material witnesses acquainted with the facts, seized and analysed incriminating cell phones, exhumed the body of abducted Manas on the lead of accused Bhagyadhar Nayak, seized weapon of offence on the lead of accused Raj @ Ranjan Nayak, other articles used by the deceased were also seized from Dayal Ashram under Airfield police station, Badhiapatna near Rajsunakhala and at Chandikhol on the basis of information provided by the accused persons during their interrogation.
Further, specimen handwritings of the accused persons were collected and compared with the questioned ‘undertaking’ executed by the deceased, the involved car OD 02 BA 6599 of accused Sarmistha, Editor of Sampurna News at Sky Tower, Duplex II under Airfield police station used for destruction/concealment of evidence of the deceased’s body were seized by the Crime Branch. It also seized the video camera of the deceased from the house of accused Jhuna Bhoi.
Test Identification Parade was conducted where the accused persons were correctly identified.
The Crime Branch has said that during the investigation it was ascertained that the deceased Manas, a professional photographer was hired by the principal accused Sarmistha.
Manas had recorded various events as per the order of Sarmistha but in spite of repeated demands had not handed over the photographs and videos due to a certain dispute between them.
Crime Branch investigation has revealed that as Manas avoided meeting Sarmistha, she hatched a conspiracy with other co-accused to pick Manas from Bhadrak where he had gone for a video recording of a marriage function.
Sarmistha along with her accomplices forcefully kidnapped Manas when he came out from the function and took him to Dayal Ashram run by her.
She confined him in one of the rooms and assaulted and threatened him so as to force him to hand over the recorded material.
The severe assault led to the death of Manas. She then hatched a plan to dispose of his dead body by burying it at an isolated place in Nayagarh district.
The personal articles of the deceased including his mobile phone were thrown at different locations so that no one could identify them.
The Crime Branch has claimed that due to sustained interrogation and analysis of pieces of evidence which were spread over multiple locations, the case could be detected.
Crime Branch took up the investigation about 40 days after the incident and the possibility of contamination and destruction of pieces of evidence was very high, the Crime Branch added.
