Bolangir: Former Crime Branch IG, Arun Bothra, testified as a key witness in the Patnagarh Additional District Judge court on Tuesday regarding the 2018 parcel bomb explosion that resulted in two fatalities, including a newlywed.
As the 60th witness, Bothra, who spearheaded the investigation, delivered crucial evidence. He solved the enigma of the parcel bomb explosion and apprehended the main suspect, Punjilal Meher, an English lecturer.
Throughout the investigation, Bothra reconstructed the crime scene and videotaped Meher’s process of creating the parcel bomb and dispatching it to the victim’s family via courier.
The Crime Branch’s attorney has requested to exhibit the CD containing the crime scene video pertinent to the case. However, the defense attorney has contested this request. The subsequent hearing is set for September 11.
The incident traces back to February 23, 2018, when Soumyasekhar Sahoo and his grandmother perished in an explosion while opening a parcel, sent as a wedding gift via courier. Soumyasekhar’s spouse, Reema Sahoo, sustained severe injuries in the blast.
Reports suggest that Meher orchestrated the plot to retaliate against Sanjukta, Soumyasekhar’s mother, following her appointment as the principal of Bhainsa College.
