Senior Cop Arun Bothra Deposes As Witness In Odisha’s Patnagarh Parcel Bomb Case

Balangir: Senior IPS officer Arun Bothra deposed before the court of Additional District Judge in Odisha’s Patnagarh on Tuesday as a witness in the high-profile parcel bomb case of 2018.

Bothra led investigation of this sensational case as IG Police of Odisha Crime Branch. According to sources, the senior police officer appeared before the court as the 60th witness in the case.

He played a key role in busting the case which led to arrest of the mastermind Punjilal Meher, an English lecturer, on April 25, 2018. Punjilal was booked by the Crime Branch under Sections 302 and 307 of IPC besides the Explosive Offences Act.

It may be noted, on February 23, 2018, Soumyasekhar Sahoo and his grandmother were killed in an explosion while unwrapping a parcel they had received as wedding gift through courier. Soumyasekhar’s wife Reema Sahoo sustained critical burns in the mishap.

Punjilal, also a former principal, had allegedly hatched the conspiracy to settle scores with Soumyasekhar’s mother Sanjukta after she took over as the Principal of Jyoti Bikash College at Bhainsa near Patnagarh.