Commissionerate Police have remanded the main accused in the Nayapalli rape case to judicial custody following a dramatic encounter in the Chandaka area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The intense investigation into the sexual assault unexpectedly unearthed a major vehicle theft and dismantling racket operating in Bhubaneswar, resulting in the arrest of the prime suspect’s two accomplices by the Capital Police.
The primary accused, Sridhar Panda alias Santosh, originally from Jagannathprasad in Ganjam district, initially entered a residence in Nayapalli with the intent to commit burglary. According to Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh, upon finding the female occupant alone, Panda threatened her with a lighter shaped like a gun and outraged her modesty. He then fled the scene in a city bus. Police tracked his movements by analyzing footage from over 300 CCTV cameras, including those installed inside the transit system. His escape route led him to the Market Building area, where he stole a motorcycle before going into hiding.
The manhunt culminated on Saturday when police intercepted Panda in the Chandaka area. During the attempted arrest, Panda attacked the officers with a screwdriver, prompting the police to open fire in self-defense. Panda sustained injuries and was admitted to Capital Hospital under strict 24-hour medical observation. Following his recovery and a mandatory medical examination on Sunday, he was produced in court.
During his hospital stay, intense interrogation revealed his involvement in a systematic bike theft syndicate. Bhubaneswar DCP Saravana Vivek M stated that Panda had multiple theft cases registered against him across various jurisdictions, including the Khandagiri and Tamando police stations. The probe confirmed that Panda and his associates were stealing two-wheelers, dismantling them into pieces, and selling the spare parts on the black market.
Acting on this intelligence, Capital Police arrested Panda’s associates, Harinarayan Prasad of Malgodown, Kataka, and Nishikant Sahoo of Gopalpur, Baleshwar. All three men had been residing in rented houses in the Chakeisihani area. The Capital Police linked the trio to a recent complaint filed by Kamlesh Kumar Singh, whose Splendor motorcycle was stolen from near Keshari Mall in the Market Building area on the evening of the 30th. Following the arrests under case number 779/26, police recovered several dismantled parts of the stolen vehicle. With their bail pleas rejected, all three accused have been sent to judicial custody.
