Berhampur: A CCTV footage has emerged, providing critical insights into the sequence of events on the evening of April 15, when realtor Sudhir Patra was allegedly abducted while returning home after playing volleyball on the outskirts of Odisha’s Berhampur.
The visuals show a four-wheeler vehicle trailing Patra closely around 6:30 pm after he left the volleyball ground in Dura Defence Colony. It is being suspected that the occupants of the vehicle, including key accused Kalu Charan Pradhan, intercepted and abducted him at gunpoint midway. Pradhan is reportedly the boyfriend of Patra’s niece, Nibedita Patra, who has been named as one of the prime conspirators in the case.
The footage came to the fore as police conducted a detailed crime scene reconstruction over the weekend, during which five accused persons, including Kalu Charan Pradhan and Surya Pratap Singh, were taken to key locations. The accused reportedly demonstrated how the abduction unfolded near the volleyball ground and retraced the route taken afterward. Singh, allegedly a contract killer hired from Surat for the job, disclosed further details during the exercise, including the use of three different firearms in the crime. The accused allegedly disposed of two of the weapons by throwing them into Baghua Dam in the Buguda area. Searches are currently underway to recover the Mausers.
A video was reportedly sent to 47-year-old realtor’s family members via WhatsApp, showing him being threatened with a gun held to his head. The kidnappers allegedly demanded a Rs 2 crore ransom while assaulting and torturing the victim in the video. A week later, Patra’s highly decomposed body was recovered from Ketamani hill area under Sorada police limits. He was identified by family members primarily through his clothing.
Following the arrests, police had seized two cars, a country-made pistol, and multiple mobile phones from the accused, who frequently changed SIM cards during the planning phase.
Sources further stated that security arrangements were heightened during the reconstruction process to prevent any untoward incident, given the sensitivity and public attention surrounding the case. Further disclosures are expected as the interrogation continues and additional arrests have not been ruled out.
Family Conspiracy Angle
Investigations have pointed to a deep family feud, primarily over property disputes following the death of Sudhir’s brother. Police have arrested nine individuals so far, including Nibedita Patra and her brother Tushar Kumar Patra, who are alleged to have masterminded the plot along with Kalu Pradhan.
The group reportedly hired professional killers, including Surya Pratap Singh who was nabbed from Surat, for the abduction and murder. Other arrested accused include Jitun Palei, who was keeping in touch with the criminals from Surat on a regular basis, and Narayan Pradhan and Ashish Mahapatra of Buguda, who were involved in the kidnapping, and the brutal assault on the realtor, leading to his death.
Sudhir’s father, however, has contested aspects of the police narrative, particularly the emphasis on property disputes as the core motive behind the murder. Instead he blamed his granddaughter Nibedita for orchestrating the crime, claiming that the family had opposed her inter-caste relationship with Kalu and had been seeking suitable grooms for her.