Bhubaneswar: A local court in Surat granted transit remand of the absconding caretaker held in connection with the sensational senior citizen murder case under Laxminagar Police Station in Bhubaneswar.
The accused, Balbhadra Maharana (41) was apprehended in Surat while he was absconding.
According to the transit warrant issued yesterday, the custody of Maharana has been handed over to Sub-Inspector Subhasmita Muduli of Laxminagar Police Station. The warrant, issued by the 8th Additional Senior Civil Judge & ACJM, Surat (P.S. Sindhi) on November 11, allows the Bhubaneswar police to keep the accused in transit custody from 2 pm of November 11 till 11 am of November 16.
The court has directed the police to produce the accused before the nearest Magistrate on or before November 16 and immediately before the concerned court in Bhubaneswar if they reach before the deadline.
Notably, the accused, who had been absconding after committing the crime, was nabbed last night in a joint operation by the Surat Crime Branch and the Vadodara Special Squad. Police caught him near a hotel on National Highway-48 when he was trying to flee to Delhi by bus.
Kunjalata, wife of late retired DFO Hadibandhu Nanda, was murdered on the night of November 3. Her blood-soaked body was found in her bedroom on the morning of November 4. Cash and gold ornaments were found looted from the almirah.
Balabhadra, who had been working as her caretaker for the last 4-5 months, had switched off his mobile phone and disappeared, which made it clear that he was behind the murder.
