By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: DGP, Odisha SK Bansal has ordered for taking up of investigation of Chandbali PS Case No. 63 dated 14.02.2022 of Bhadrak District by CID-Crime Branch in view of its gravity and involvement of multiple districts.
The Crime Branch has immediately formed two teams to probe the case. If need arises, the teams will widen its probe to outside Odisha. The investigating agency has information that the prime accused has managed to escape outside the State, ADGP CID-CB Sanjiv Panda said.
A team of Bhadrak’s Chandbali Police on Wednesday carried out a raid at the office of Sampurna Web News Channel & Magazine, which is owned by main accused Sarmistha Rout.
According to sources, police have sealed the office of the news portal located in the Sky Tower residential area under Airfield police station limits in Bhubaneswar.
Besides two computers, a hard disk and a video camera set has been seized by the police during the raid, sources said adding that hard drive will be sent to the forensic laboratory.
With pressure mounting and issue heading towards a political storm in the Manas Swain murder case, the prime accused Sarmishtha Rout’s car has been traced on Wednesday.
Reportedly, the vehicle has been found parked in the garage of Sky Tower apartment near Airfield Police Station in Bhubaneswar. It is being suspected that the cameraman Manas Swain was abducted in this particular vehicle following which she hid the car. A special team of Chandbali police will be coming to Bhubaneswar for further inspection of the vehicle.
Earlier on Tuesday, Odisha Police had nabbed brother of prime accused Sarmistha Rout, who is still at large. Police apprehended Parameswar Rout, Sarmistha’s brother, from Vijayawada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Pararemswar had allegedly planned for his sister’s escape following murder of Manas Swain.
Police have carried out raids at multiple places in Bhubaneswar to trace Sarmista Rout, the prime accused in the kidnapping and murder of cameraman Swain. Bhadrak Police with the help of Commisionerate police is carrying out Rout’s house and office in state capital. Bhadrak SP Charan Singh Meena said, searches have been intensified and efforts are on to nab Sarmista Rout and her associate, “both of whom have absconded
Meanwhile, Trouble continued to haunt mysterious woman journalist, Sarmistha Rout with the Orissa High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Sarmistha Rout, the prime accused in cameraman Manas Swain murder case.
In a bid to avoid possible arrest, Sarmistha had moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail. Police have already arrested 5 persons including former Information & Public Relation (I&PR) Director (Technical) Niranjan Sethi and his associate Ranjan Nayak, Bhagyadhar Nayak, Vivek Nayak and Krushna Chandra Nayak. The accused have been booked under under Sections 363/364/302/465/471/201/34 of the Indian Penal Code and forwarded to the court.
Rout’s photos with arrested Sethi, BJD Ministers like Capt Dibya Mishra, Pratap Jena and Aul MLA Pratap Deb have gone viral in social media with demands for a high level probe into this issue and as well as Sethi’s tenure as Director Technical.
Web Portal Sampoorna TV and magazine, owner and cameraman Manas Swain murder accused, Sharmistha Rout, had successfully, registered her organisation to Government advertisement showing her magazine’s circulation around 15,000 on last day of Sethi’s retirement and some believed , the officer might have gone sexual favour from the key accused Rout, who has an very controversial background since her College Days.
Sarmishta is believed to be the mastermind behind the murder case. Chandbali police had raided Sharmistha’s house in Aul area in Kendrapara district. Mother of the deceased, Jamuna Swain had sought CM Naveen Patnaik’s help for justice in the case.
Manas, a resident of Godipokhari village in Ranpur area of Nayagarh, worked as a cameraman in a Bhubaneswar-based web portal, Sampoorna, run by one Sharmistha Rout.On February 7, Manas had gone to shoot a wedding in Chandbali area of Bhadrak but went missing under mysterious circumstances. On March 12, the Chandbali police, with help of a team of cops from Ranpur, recovered the body of Manas from Badhipatna hills in Rajsunakhala area of Nayagarh.
