Bhubaneswar: While police are on the lookout for Sarmistha Rout, the owner of a Bhubaneshwar-based web channel, in connection with the alleged murder of her former employee and cameraman, Manas Swain, the investigators have now come under a cloud over delay in collecting the mobile phone of the deceased from Chandikhol.
Chandbali police are being questioned for this delay after Manas’ mother told a local channel about one Tapas Mohanty informing them on March 13 that a person had found his phone at Chandikhol and had demanded Rs 500-1,000 for returning it.
His mother said they then approached Ranapur police but were asked to file a complaint in Bhubaneswar from where they were asked to go to Chandbali police, which later informed that the phone was collected on March 18.
The 28-year-old Swain went missing from a wedding venue in Bhadrak on February 7 and his body was exhumed in Ranpur area of Nayagarh district on March 12.
According to preliminary investigation, Sarmistha allegedly plotted to kill him since he was in possession of some controversial videos and photos which could have landed her in trouble.
On Thursday, the Commissionerate Police formed a special squad to nab the absconding web channel owner. Three accused, Bhagyadhar Nayak (26), Bebek Nayak (19) and Krushna Chandra Nayak (50), whom police had arrested on March 12, had confessed to having killed Swain at Dayal Ashram run by Sarmistha in Bhubaneswar and later they buried the body in Ranapur area of Nayagarh to destroy evidence.
They also told police to have committed the murder at the behest of Sarmistha.
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