Berhampur: At least 209 lawyers have filed a petition against BJD leader and former Odisha MLA Bikram Panda in a Berhampur court in connection with senior advocate Pitabas Panda murder case.
The development comes days after more than 40 lawyers filed vakalatnamas in favour of Bikram Panda, who has been arrested as prime accused in the sensational murder case.
Notably, Bikram Panda’s legal team on Thursday also submitted a petition claiming that he had no involvement in the murder of Pitabas Panda.
The support from 209 lawyers marks a significant development in the ongoing case, as the legal community appears divided over Bikram Panda’s alleged role in the incident.
In a related development, Berhampur Superintendent of Police (SP) Saravana Vivek M has submitted a written reply to the Orissa High Court in connection with the murder case. The High Court had earlier expressed displeasure over the SP’s remarks on an election-related petition, questioning why his remarks should not be treated as contempt of court. The HC also sought a written explanation from the SP.
The SP has now filed his response explaining his position. The High Court has directed him to submit an affidavit by November 10, the date scheduled for the next hearing in the case.
The SP had reportedly stated that Bikram Panda had financially supported Pintu Das to file a petition regarding the 2024 Assembly election in Berhampur through Manoj Panda. The SP also claimed that there was a common link between Bikram Panda and Shiba Shankar Das in filing the election petition against the election of Anil Kumar as MLA from Berhampur.
