Berhampur: Former Berhampur MLA Bikram Panda, the prime accused in lawyer Pitabas Das’ murder case, was admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Berhampur on Sunday.
He has been lodged in Berhampur Jail since his arrest on October 22, 2025.
According to sources, Bikram complained of severe chest and abdominal pain, prompting jail authorities to rush him to the hospital for immediate medical attention. He is reportedly suffering from high blood pressure, piles, and gall bladder stone–related complications. He was initially admitted to the Medicine ward for preliminary examination. Following further medical evaluation, he was later shifted to the Surgery wing of the hospital’s OPD for specialised care and observation.
Hospital sources said that a team of doctors is closely
monitoring his condition and further treatment will be decided based on diagnostic reports.
Meanwhile, security at the hospital has been tightened in view of his status as an undertrial prisoner.
Speaking briefly to reporters while entering the facility, the former MLA asserted that he has been falsely implicated in the case. “I am innocent and have been falsely implicated for political reasons,” he said, adding that he had full faith in the judicial process and drew strength from his devotion, stating, “Lord Jagannath is with me.”
Pitabash was shot dead in front of his residence in Berhampur on October 6, 2025. While 16 people have been arrested in the case, Bikram and former Berhampur mayor Shiv Shankar Dash have been named as key conspirators in the 30,000-page chargesheet submitted before the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court at Berhampur last month. The accused have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including criminal conspiracy (Section 61), murder (Section 101), aiding and abetting (Section 48) and harbouring offenders (Section 249).
The murder was attributed to long-standing political, financial, and personal disputes.