Manas Swain murder case: Prime accused Sarmistha, aide taken on remand again

Bhadrak: Crime Branch took prime accused Sarmistha Rout and her associate Jhuna Bhoi on remand again for further probe into cameraman Manas Swain murder case.

The JMFC Court, Chandbali allowed the probing agency to take Sarmistha and Jhuna on three-day remand for interrogation. The court sent another accused persons — Niranjan Sethi and Ranjan Nayak — to the jail.

Earlier in the day, the Crime Branch had deposed four accused persons — Sarmistha Rout, Jhuna Bhoi, Niranjan Sethi and Ranjan Nayak — before the JMFC Court after their 5-day remand period ended on Saturday.

Source said that the investigating agency had prayed the court to allow to take all four accused persons on a remand for another five days for grilling.

Yesterday, the Crime Branch team had taken Sarmistha Rout and Niranjan Sethi to her apartment in Bhubaneswar to recreate the crime scene.

Source said said that retired OIS Officer Niranjan Sethi, who is the former Information & Public Relations Director, confessed to his involvement in the crime before the Crime Branch team.

Reportedly, he confessed that he had visited Sampurna, a web channel run by Sarmistha Rout, at Dayal Asharam on February 7 in Bhubaneswar where cameraman Manas Swain was killed. He told that Sarmistha, her sister-in-law, a computer operator, Jhuna and her husband were already present at the old age home. Reportedly, he revealed that Sarmistha and her associates had brought Manas from Chandbali to Sampurna office.

Also Read: Manas Swain murder: Former Odisha Information Service officer confesses his involvement in case

Source said that Sethi brutally thrashed Manas at the office and left the spot at around 10 pm. He succumbed to injuries at night. The next day, Sarmistha had visited Sethi’s residence at Prasanti Vihar area and the later had helped her flee the scene by giving her Rs 10,000 cash and arranging a car for her travel to Kaliapani.

Also Read: Manas Swain murder: Niranjan Sethi helped Sarmistha to escape

Manas Swain, a resident of Godipokhari village in Ranpur area of Nayagarh district, was allegedly kidnapped from Bhadrak district on February 7. He was working as a cameraman ‘Sampurna’. Reportedly, he was murdered at Dayal Ashram in Bhubaneswar, where the web channel was being operated, and the body was dumbed in Nayagarh district. His body was exhumed from Badhipatna hills in Nayagarh district on March 12, a month after he went missing from Chandbali area in Bhadrak district.

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