Berhampur: Police filed the chargesheet in connection with the murder of senior advocate Pitabas Panda in a court in Odisha’s Berhampur city on Sunday.
The over 30,000-page chargesheet was submitted before the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court at Berhampur today although it is a holiday.
Baidyanathpur Police had earlier filed the case diary on December 9 in this sensational murder case in which 16 people, including BJD leader and former Odisha MLA Bikram Panda, have been arrested.
Police sources said Bikram Panda and former Berhampur mayor Shiv Shankar Dash have been named as key conspirators in plotting the crime. The accused have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including criminal conspiracy (Section 61), murder (Section 101), aiding and abetting (Section 48) and harbouring offenders (Section 249).
Advocate and Bharataiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pitabas Panda was shot dead from point blank range by masked assailants outside his house on October 6, 2025, which sent shockwaves across Odisha.
Investigation revealed that the murder of BJP leader and senior advocate Pitabas Panda was the result of a deep-rooted political and personal conspiracy. Police stated Bikram Panda and Shiv Shankar Dash were the chief conspirators, driven by long-standing political, financial, and personal disputes. Police sources have said initially sharpshooters from Bihar were hired to carry out the killing, but when that plan failed, local shooters were engaged to execute the attack.
Alongside the political figures, several other individuals were arrested for their involvement in providing shelter, logistical support, and coordination for the assailants. At least 16 people have been taken into custody, with charges ranging from criminal conspiracy and aiding the attackers to direct participation in the murder. Police also confirmed that three accused, including Uma Bishoyi and Kurupati Bhuyan remain absconding, and efforts are underway to track them down.
Police sources said they probed multiple angles, including property disputes, loan dealings and professional rivalry. Personnel had questioned more than 80 individuals and examined over 500 CCTV footage clips, as well as the deceased’s call detail records (CDR). Call detail records and interrogation reports have exposed links among the conspirators, strengthening the prosecution’s case. The arrests highlight how alleged political rivalry, personal enmity and financial disputes converged to fuel the crime, making this one of the most high-profile murder cases in Odisha in recent years.
Pitabas Panda, a member of the Odisha State Bar Council, was shot dead by unidentified assailants near his residence in Kamapalli area under Baidyanathpur police limits on October 6. He sustained bullet injuries on his chest and was rushed to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
