By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The Sanjib Panda led Odisha CID-CB seems, finding no headway into the gruesome murder of cameraman Manas Swain with the prime accused, woman Journalist, Sarmistha Rout continued to give sleepless nights to the Odisha Police’s Crime Branch team. All Efforts of CID-CB to trace and apprehend Sarmistha and her associate Jhuna Bhoi, so far not fetch any dividends for the investigating agency. With CID-CB counting days, questions are now being raised about the efficiency of ADGP CID-CB Panda.
With no whereabouts of key accused, Rout, hails from Narendrapur area of Kendrapara’s Aul block, the Crime Branch on Sunday sealed the ‘Dayal Ashram’ old age home at Sundarpada here, which was run fugitive Rout. A team of Crime Branch officers arrived at the spot along with a forensic team to carry out investigation.
Manas’ associate said the memory card contained a short film which was shot in Puri. The film featured former OIS officer Niranjan Sethi and a couple of other actors taking bath in sea near Puri beach, he said.But despite multiple raids on the suspected hideouts of prime accused Sarmistha Rout, the agency was yet to ascertain her whereabouts. Sources said as she is not using mobile phone not to give away her location, police are facing difficulty in tracking her.
Police have so far arrested six persons– Niranjan Sethi former Technical Director of Odisha Informations and Public Relations Department, his associate Ranjan Nayak, Bhagyadhar Nayak, Vivek Nayak, Krushna Chandra Nayak and Sarmistha’s brother Parameswar Rout– in this case.
Manas Swain, a resident of Godipokhari village in Ranpur area of Nayagarh district, was working as a cameraman for a Bhubaneswar-based web portal ‘Sampoorna’ run by Sarmistha Rout. Manas was assaulted and murdered at the old age home on the night of February 7 while the body was buried in Nayagarh district. Police had exhumed Swain’s body near Badhipatna hills in Rajsunakhala area of the district on March 12.
