Bhubaneswar: The police today filed the chargesheet in connection with the murder of BJP leader and senior lawyer Pitabas Panda in Odisha’s Berhampur city on October 6 last year.

The cops reportedly filed a 30,000-page chargesheet in the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Berhampur. They brought the chargesheet to the court in two large tin boxes. 

As per reports, the voluminous chargesheet contains evidence against the accused including witness testimonies, call-detail records, financial transaction trails, CCTV footage analysis and forensic as well as ballistic reports.      

Panda, a member of Odisha State Bar Council, was shot dead by miscreants in Berhampur on October 6. Two bike-borne miscreants allegedly opened fire on Panda while he was returning home on his scooter around 10 pm.

Panda sustained bullet injuries in his chest and was rushed to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition. However, he was declared dead on arrival by the doctors.

Former BJD MLA and ex-Berhampur mayor are key accused in the murder case   

The police have arrested altogether 16 individuals, including BJD leader and former Berhampur MLA Bikram Panda and former Berhampur mayor Siba Shankar Das, in connection with the murder case.

The police claimed that the BJP leader had been allegedly killed due to political, business and professional rivalry with key accused Bikram Panda and Siba Shankar Das. The conspirators allegedly engaged a few sharpshooters to eliminate Panda.  

Notably, Panda had joined the BJP after quitting the Congress party ahead of the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Odisha. He was at the forefront in the fight against irregularities in Berhampur city and Ganjam district during the tenure of the previous government.