Bhubaneswar: Prime accused in cameraman Manas Swain murder case Sarmistha Rout broke down before the Crime Branch team while she was asked to reconstruct the crime scene at Dayal Ashram (old-age home) here on Friday.
Sarmistha confessed to having kidnapped Swain from Palaspur (Bhadrak) and was assisted by Ranjan Naik, Jhuna Bhoi, Bhagyadhar Nayak, Bibek in her car on February 7. He died the following day because of the injuries inflicted by the brutal assault at Dayal Ashram.
A special team of the CB led by Deputy SP Kalpana Sahoo escorted Sarmistha to Palaspur (Chandbali, Bhadrak), Bhubaneswar and Ranapur (Nayagarh), the three places where the sequence of events occurred.
The accused led the team and demonstrated the routes taken by her to the spot on February 6 (night). The place where she and her associates waited for Swain’s return from the marriage function till the next morning and how they abducted and brought him to Bhubaneswar, was all narrated by Sarmishta before the investigators.
She also elaborated on the incident at Dayal Ashram and showed the room where Swain was kept hostage and assaulted. From there she led the team to the place of burial near Ranpur, the CB said.
“After his death, they shifted the body on February 8 (afternoon) in her car and disposed it off at Ranapur in the evening. After disposing of the body, they proceeded to a place located on Daitari—Paradeep Expressway, about two kilometres from Chandikhol during midnight to dispose of materials used for disposal of the body,” a CB official said.
She along with Jhuna had purchased jute bag, gloves, Sutuli from Unit I Market in Bhubaneswar. On the way to Nayagarh, Sarmistha and Jhuna purchased 10 kg salt from Rajsunakhala. Bhagyadhar and Ranjan purchased few other items that were needed for disposing the body which was buried near Nua Katni in Ranapur.
“They selected the spot because another accused Bhagydhar is a native of Badhipatana in Ranapur, about two kilometres away from the place of burial,” the official added.
The CB has taken four accused – Sarmista, Jhuna Bhoi, Niranjan Sethi and Ranjan Nayak on five-day police remand in this case. Sarmistha confessed to the crime and about people who assisted her during sustained interrogation by the special team of CB.
