Berhampur: Professional supari killers are suspected to have executed the cold-blooded murder of senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabas Panda, which has sent shockwaves across the Berhampur city’s legal and political circles.
Speaking to the media, Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said that the pattern and precision of the attack point toward hired assassins. “The suspect, spotted in white shirt and helmet, could possibly be a contract killer. Involvement of professional shooters cannot be ruled out. We are tracking every lead, and arrests will follow soon,” he said after visiting the victim’s residence late last night.
The SP was away in Hyderabad for a training programme, when the incident took place in full public glare on Monday night.
He further informed that six police teams, including two DSPs and Town SDPO, are probing the case. Town SDPO Priyas Ranjan Chhotray has been assigned the role of investigating officer. Over 50 CCTV footages have been analysed, and phone call records are being verified, he added.
Police sources revealed that one of the retrieved CCTV footage clearly shows the killer, wearing a white shirt and helmet, escaping on a motorcycle after firing two rounds. A country-made revolver is suspected to have been used in the crime. The killers are believed to have reached near Panda’s residence at Baikuntha Nagar from Aska Road First Gate, and fled through the same route.
Eyewitnesses said two assailants intercepted Panda near his house and opened fire, with one bullet piercing his chest. Locals rushed him to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, but doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
A senior lawyer and respected social figure, Panda had earlier served as a member of the State Legislative Council. Once associated with the Congress, he joined the BJP ahead of the last general elections. He was a member of State Bar Council and also a RTI activist, who raised voice against corruption in the city.
His assassination marks one of the most daring contract killings in recent years in South Odisha.
The Ganjam Bar Association (GBA) has condemned the murder in the strongest terms. Advocates across Berhampur also joined a cease work stir and a peace procession, giving a 48-hour ultimatum for the arrest of the assailants while urging for an IPS officer to lead the probe.
Amid the protests by lawyers, the Bar Council of India (BCI) president Manan Kumar Mishra has also demanded the immediate formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, adding that safety and dignity of advocates are non-negotiable.