Berhampur police exposed a chilling family conspiracy behind the murder of land dealer Sudhir Kumar Patra, 47, from Satyanarayanpur village.
Armed men abducted him and killed him following a long-standing property dispute.
Police arrested nine people, including Sudhir’s niece Nibedita Patra, her brother Tushar Patra, and her boyfriend Kalu Pradhan. The accused demanded ₹2 crore ransom from Sudhir’s wife and sent a video showing him being tortured with a gun pointed at his head.
Other arrested persons include Jitun Palai, Narayan Pradhan, Ashish Mahapatra, Shubham Nayak, Shubham Goud, and Surya Pratap Singh.
Investigators said the abduction took place on April 15 while Sudhir was returning home after playing volleyball. The gang took him in a Bolero vehicle and later moved him to a forest near Sorada in Kandhamal district, where they assaulted him with wooden planks and fired blank rounds to intimidate him.
SP Subhendu Kumar Nayak stated that the murder stemmed from a bitter family feud over property following the death of Sudhir’s elder brother Manoj Patra in June 2025. Manoj’s family accused Sudhir of using black magic and plotted revenge.
Police recovered 15 mobile phones, a car, and a firearm used in the crime. Investigations confirmed frequent phone calls between Manoj’s family and the accused, establishing the conspiracy.
