Cuttack: Eventually, it was their running out of cash and places to hide is what that caused Sarmistha Rout, prime accused in cameraman Manas Swain murder case and her accomplice Jhuna Bhoi, who were on the run to fall into the hands of the Crime Branch.
This is what the Crime Branch has found out during its interrogation of the duo.
Sarmistha and Jhuna have revealed that after leaving Bhubaneswar they had travelled to various places both inside and outside the State and frequently changed their SIM cards to avoid tracking by the police.
According to the Crime Branch, Sarmistha had cleverly left her mobile in her flat to misguide the police so as to avoid police arrest. She purchased a new SIM card at Agarapara and two new SIM cards at Kolkata and used them for communicating with her relatives.
On March 7, she along with Jhuna reached her in-law’s house at Kaliapani, Pulipusi village and stayed with her mother-in-law for three days on the plea for doing pooja for reuniting with her husband.
After staying at Pulipusi for three days, she left with her mother-in-law for Agarapara on March 10 at about 5.30 AM and stayed at her sister-in-law’s house at Purusanda village in Bhadrak district for three days.
On March 13 at about 02.50 PM left for Kupari bus stand on an auto-rickshaw and from there to Balasore bus stand. From Balasore they took a train to Kolkota to avoid police arrest.
On reaching Kolkata on March 14 she along with Jhuna left for Kalyani in Nadia district. After staying at Kalyani for a few days they left for Mayapuri. They stayed in the house of one Asima Das who was an acquaintance of her brother.
Apprehending arrest she again changed her place and left for Jalpaiguri.
They stayed there for a few days at the place of her acquaintance and headed back to Kolkota where they stayed for a few days.
Left with no cash and shelter they came back to Odisha and while they were on their way to Bhubaneswar from Kolkata they were arrested near Bhadrak town.
The Crime Branch has said that the post-mortem report of Manas Swain has revealed that he was assaulted by means of hard and blunt objects. His ribs were fractured. The cause of death has been opined as due to thoracic injuries and complications thereon. Other ante-mortem external and internal injuries were also found in the body.
