A local court in Berhampur rejected the bail applications of five accused in the Pitabas Panda murder case, including former MLA Bikram Panda.
The Additional District & Sessions Judge dismissed the pleas of Bikram Panda, former Berhampur Mayor Pintu Das, lawyer Madan Dalei, Sunil Hota, and Sunya Das.
Meanwhile, Berhampur Police linked the murder of lawyer Pitabas Panda to political rivalry, personal enmity, and a carefully planned conspiracy involving several individuals from within and outside Odisha.
On October 6, 2025, around 10 p.m., Panda was returning home when two assailants shot him near his residence. Immediately, locals rushed him to MKCG Medical College and Hospital. However, doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
Afterwards, police investigations identified Bikram Panda, former Ganjam district BJD president, and Pintu Das as the main conspirators. Authorities stated that political, personal, and financial motives drove the killing.
In October, officials shifted Pintu Das from Berhampur Circle Jail to Phulbani Jail. Earlier, a petition filed in the SDJM Court raised concerns about his safety in Berhampur Jail, claiming threats to his life while lodged there.
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