Bhubaneswar: Theorists and researchers have often opined that the commission of crime in a particular geography has been directly proportional to the population rise and variation in the per capita income. However, over the last decade, there has been a digression from the usual norms.
Odisha, in 2022, witnessed crimes of almost all sorts. From well-plotted murders to high-profile blackmailing, and cyber crimes to siphoning of Government funds, the State has seen it all in the last 12 months. In this write-up we take a look at some of the major incidents of crime, which took the state by storm.
Russian Billionaire’s ‘Mysterious’ Death In Rayagada
Billionaire Russian politician Pavel Antov died under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in Rayagada on Sunday. According to the police, Antov died after falling from the third floor of the hotel, barely 48 hours after his companion B Vladimir died of a heart stroke.
The twin deaths triggered speculations, given the fact that Antov was critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine. DG Police said prima facie this appeared to be a case of suicide, however, since they were foreign nationals, the Crime Branch is assisting Rayagada police to investigate the deaths.
Archana Nag High Profile Extortion Racket
26-year-old Archana and her husband Jagabandhu Chand are in custody, accused of being involved in extorting money from rich and influential using video recordings of their intimate moments. Hailing from a lower middle-class background, the couple was enjoying a posh lifestyle.
They were staying in a palatial building and were using luxurious cars and bikes. The couple owned a fleet of vehicles, four pet dogs and a horse, bungalows, a farmhouse, etc. Apart from cases registered by the Commissionerate of Police, the Enforcement Directorate is now investigating the money trail and sources of income of the couple. The ED has so far examined a few politicians, filmmakers and businessmen for their alleged monetary transactions with Nag.
Cameraman Manas Swain Murder Case
A video journalist Manas Swain was killed in cold blood in a room at Dayal Ashram in Bhubaneswar. He succumbed to the assault following which the body of the deceased was shifted to Badhi Patna in Ranapur in Nayagarh district and buried in a deserted field to destroy evidence.
The key conspirator of this crime was former Director of Information and Public Relation Department Niranjan Sethi and his associate Sarmistha Nayak, a .journalist’. A memory chip that was in the possession of Swain led to his murder. The chip allegedly had video recordings which Sethi and Sarmistha did not want to come out in public, the police said. Three contract killers were also arrested in this case by Bhadrak police.
Man Kill 5 Members of Elder Brother’s Family in Cuttack
A man allegedly killed five members of his elder brother’s family in broad daylight following a feud at Kusupur village under Mahanga police station in Cuttack district in April this year. The deceased, Alekh Sahu, his wife, their son and daughter and another member of the family were killed by his younger brother Shiva.
He locked the room following the gruesome incident and surrendered at Balichandrapur police station in Jajpur district. The incident was an outcome over a patch of land. The accused surrendered before the police and confessed to the crime.
‘Obscene Call’ Menace Spreads Tentacles In Odisha
Two persons were arrested in connection with the death of a bank official who allegedly died by suicide in Sonepur. The police have found that Divya Ranjan Mishra, who working as an agriculture officer with the Punjab National Bank’s Barpali branch in Bargarh district, took the extreme step of ending his life as he was being blackmailed by the accused with nude video calls.
Sonepur police said that Mishra was under mental stress due to the blackmailing. A five-member criminal gang in Rajasthan had demanded money from Mishra by blackmailing him with nude video calls. The accused were identifying themselves as officials of CBI and threatening the bank officer of exposing him.
