Bhubaneswar: In a major development in the sensational Niladri Vihar taxi driver murder case in Bhubaneswar, prime accused Dinesh Nayak surrendered before the police on Tuesday.
As per information, police began interrogating Dinesh soon after he surrendered. He is expected to be produced before the court on Wednesday.
Stepping up probe in the case, police have also detained and questioned his girlfriend, Liza Kandi, whose role in the case is under scanner. Investigators are examining the alleged triangular love angle suspected to have played a key role in the murder of taxi driver Satyabrata Pradhan.
Meanwhile, CCTV footage that surfaced on Tuesday has added a new angle to the case. One of the videos, captured after the attack, shows Satya
brata running desperately for his life moments after being assaulted. The footage has gone viral on social media. Another video circulating online shows a boy and a girl walking together.
Police sources said that Liza is being questioned intensively, as she has allegedly been changing her statements repeatedly during interrogation. Investigators are also questioning the owner of the house where Liza resides, along with other tenants and neighbours, several of whom appeared at the Chandrasekharpur police station to record their statements.
Investigators are reportedly recording statements under Section 180 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and are analysing Call Detail Records (CDR). A senior lady inspector has been assigned to formally record Liza’s statement. The house where she was staying has been sealed as part of the investigation, and police have also conducted a raid at Liza’s beauty parlour to collect further evidence.
Notably, the murder reportedly took place late on the night of February 8, when Satyabrata’s throat was allegedly slit in Chandrasekharpur area of the capital city and the body was later dumped.