Berhampur: Once an abode of peace, the farmhouse owned by businessman Sunil Hota at Kaliagaon near Jeypore in Odisha’s Koraput, is now described as a safe haven for criminal elements.
Located barely 10 kilometres from Jeypore town, Kaligaon appears to be entangled in a controversy after revelations surfaced about the involvement the seemingly quiet farmhouse in a chilling murder case.
The farmhouse belonging to Sunil Hota, a resident of Jeypore, has emerged as a silent witness to a dark episode — the sheltering of two prime accused in the sensational murder of senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabas Panda in Berhampur city.
It is alleged that Hota provided shelter and accommodation to both Uma Bisoi and Kurupati Bhuyan. The two reportedly spent four days in concealment within the serene walls of Hota’s farmhouse.
Investigation in the high-profile murder case showed that the farmhouse of Sunil Hota is a mute spectator to betrayal and blood, holding within its quiet corners the untold truth of a crime that shook Odisha.
Police also waited around the house of Sunil Hota in Jeypore in disguise hoping to get a peep inside. But the killers were allegedly escorted to another location.
After allegedly firing the shot, Kurupati Bhuyan sat on the bike as pillion rider and Chintu Pradhan rode the bike on October 6 night. They crossed Mausima Mandir, Lochapa and reached Sitalapalli village where both changed their clothes and threw their wearing apparels used in crime including helmets and buried their guns.
Thereafter, Kurupati Bhuyan and Chintu left the bike at a tea stall near Rameswar Chak at NH 16, and took a bus to Bhubaneswar, from where they went to Puri and stayed in a lodge. From Puri, Kurupati went to Jeypore and Sunil Hota gave active shelter to both Uma Bisoi and Kurupatti Bhuyan in his farmhouse despite knowing well that both were involved in murder. Both Malaya Bisoi and Madan Dalei repeatedly communicated with Sunil Hota enquiring about the wellbeing of both the accused persons.
As per police sources, Sunil Hota is a close associate of Bikram Panda, the alleged mastermind behind the brutal murder. Both Sunil Hota and Bikram Panda have known each other since college days and Sunil regularly attends all party meetings and rallies of Bikram Panda. Both Kurupati Bhuyan and Uma Bisoi are still at large.
So far, police have arrested 13 accused, including Sunil Hota. They also seized the mobile phone of a relative of Madan Dalei who asked Sunil Hota to give shelter to Uma Bisoi and Kurupati Bhuyan over that phone. The called detailed report (CDR) of that phone has been analysed and the police have obtained important clues, sources said.
Police also have arrested Sunya Chandra Das who sheltered four sharpshooters including Sishupal Kumar Paswan and Kundan Kumar from Bihar and two locals Bipin Swain and Simanchal Nayak in his Alkapuri residence as requested by corporator Malaya Bishoi.
