Lensman Manas Murder: Will Police Close Investigation Without Establishing Motive Like Previous Cases?

Bhubaneswar: Even as investigation into cameraman Manas Swain murder case has reached final stage with police set to prepare the chargesheet, the motive of the crime is yet to be ascertained as in several murder cases earlier in the state.

Police have arrested 8 persons including prime accused in the case and editor of Bhubaneswar-based web-channel Sampoorna, Sarmistha Sethi and her associate Jhuna Bhoi. The Crime Branch had taken Sarmistha and Jhuna on a three-day remand for second time on April 5 after the end of their first remand of 5 days.

After their second remand was over, Sarmistha and Jhuna were sent to Bhadrak sub-jail after being produced in JMFC Court, Chandbali on Thursday. All the accused persons, including retired OIS Officer Niranjan Sethi, will depose before the court on April 11.

The Crime Branch has recovered the murder weapons – bamboo lathis and wooden plank – used in the murder following confession of Jhuna during second phase interrogation.

Sanjib Panda, ADG, Crime Branch has said they have enough evidence and confession of the accused to be produced in the court for their conviction in the case.

But the police have failed to trace the memory chip for which Manas was allegedly murdered. It reportedly contained some obscene videos and pictures of Niranjan and others. With the memory chip, which is considered a crucial link,  missing, the police would find it difficult to prove the motive.

Besides, question arises why Manas would demand just Rs 10,000 for the memory chip which contained such explosive contents. While neither Sarmistha nor other accused have come out with any satisfying answers to the question, the ADG has said investigation was still going on and truth will be revealed after filing the chargesheet.

It may be noted that recent alleged murder cases of Pihu, Pari, Mamita Meher and ACF Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra were also closed by police without substantiating the motive of the accused in resorting to the crime. Whether the Crime Branch would succeed to establish the motive in Manas case would be known remains a pertinent question for now.

Manas of Ranpur in Nayagarh district was kidnapped from Bhadrak district on February 7. He was working as a cameraman for ‘Sampoorna’ and was  allegedly murdered at Dayal Ashram in Bhubaneswar, where the web channel was operating. His body was exhumed from Badhipatna hills in Nayagarh district on March 12, a month after he went missing from Chandabali area in Bhadrak district.