Bhubaneswar: The extended police remand of Sarmistha Rout and her associate Jhuna Bhoi, in Crime Branch custody ended on Wednesday. The duo revealed significant details about method and motive behind the crime before the investigators, during the remand period which lasted for 8 days.
According to the Crime Branch, Sarmistha confessed to having killed Manas over a dispute arising over a memory chip, in the latter’s possession. Prior to Manas leaving for Chandbali, he had an argument with Sarmistha over this matter following which she snatched away his camera.
Manas was staying at Dayal Ashram from January 10 onwards. He had demanded Rs 10,000 and his camera back, to hand over the memory chip, the CB stated.
“On January 30, both Sarmistha and Niranjan had called Manas to ‘Sampoorna’ office and asked him to give them the chip which had a video recording. They assaulted Manas in the office and took him to Dayal Ashram as he was staying there,” the Crime Branch stated.
They took away his camera and said that it would be returned only after he gives them the memory chip. The next day, (February 1), Manas left the Ashram and stayed at different places in Bhubaneswar. On February 5, Manas along with Deepak went to Chandbali for a wedding shoot. Sarmistha was tipped about his movements and plotted his kidnapping in order to get the chip back.
While the Crime Branch is yet to lay hands on the mysterious memory chip, the investigating agency said, it was last there with Manas. The prime accused Sarmishta and Jhuna will be produced before the court of JMFC, Chandbali on Thursday, as their remand ends today.
