Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Crime Branch on Friday said that during investigation Sarmistha Rout, prime accused in cameraman Manas Swain murder case, has confessed to the crime and revealed about her accomplices who helped her during sustained interrogation by the special team of CB.
Earlier today, the Crime Branch reconstructed the crime scene during which prime accused Sarmistha made the startling revelations and the entire plotting behind the murder of cameraman Manas Swain.
A special team of the CB led by Deputy SP Kalpana Sahoo escorted Sarmistha to Palaspur (Chandbali, Bhadrak), Bhubaneswar, and Ranapur (Nayagarh), the three places where the sequence of events occurred.
During the crime scene reconstruction, Sarmistha confessed to having kidnapped Swain from Bhadrak’s Palaspur with the help of Ranjan Naik, Jhuna Bhoi, Bhagyadhar Nayak, and Bibek alias Nilu in her car on February 7. Then they reached Dayal Ashram under Airfield PS limits in Bhubaneswar by noon where Manas was subjected to brutal assault leading to his death the following day.
After his death, they shifted the body on February 8 (afternoon) in her car and disposed it off at Ranapur in the evening. After disposing of the body, they proceeded to a place located on Daitari—Paradeep Expressway, about two kilometres from Chandikhol during midnight to dispose of materials used for disposal of the body, the Crime branch said.
She along with Jhuna had purchased jute bag, gloves, Sutuli from Unit I Market in Bhubaneswar. On the way to Nayagarh, Sarmistha and Jhuna purchased 10 kg salt from Rajsunakhala. Bhagyadhar and Ranjan purchased few other items that were needed for disposing the body which was buried near Nua Katni in Ranapur. They selected the spot because another accused Bhagydhar is a native of Badhipatana in Ranapur, about two kilometres away from the place of burial, the Crime Branch added.
The accused led the team and demonstrated the routes taken by her to the spot on February 6 (night). The place where she and her associates waited for Swain’s return from the marriage function till the next morning and how they abducted and brought him to Bhubaneswar, was all narrated by Sarmishta before the investigators.
She also elaborated on the incident at Dayal Ashram and showed the room where Swain was kept hostage and assaulted. From there she led the team to the place of burial near Ranpur, the CB said.
The Crime Branch has taken the four accused – Sarmista Rout, Jhuna Bhoi, Niranjan Sethi and Ranjan Nayak on five-day police remand in connection with this case.
