Manas Swain Murder: Odisha CB takes Sarmistha Rout, 3 others on remand

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Crime Branch, which is probing into the cameraman Manas Swain murder case, today took prime accused Sarmistha Rout and three others on remand for further questioning.

The agency took Sarmistha, retired OIS officer Niranjan Sethi, Jhuna Bhoi and Ranjan Nayak on remand for five days.

During the remand period, the Crime Branch is likely to grill the four over their alleged involvement in the abduction and murder of Manas in order to ascertain the exact motive behind the killing.

Sarmistha and her associate Jhuna were arrested by a joint team of Bhadrak Police and Crime Branch on March 28 from Nalanga area of Bhadrak district. The two were then produced before the Court of JMFC, Chandbali.

A sensational twist came to the case when police on March 21 arrested former Information & Public Relation (I&PR) Director (Technical) Niranjan Sethi over his alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of Manas. He was an Odisha Information Service (OIS) officer and retired in February.

Police have so far arrested eight persons– Sarmistha Rout, her associate Jhuna Bhoi, Niranjan Sethi, his associate Ranjan Nayak, Bhagyadhar Nayak, Vivek Nayak, Krushna Chandra Nayak and Sarmistha’s brother Parameswar Rout– in this case.

As per police, Manas had possessed a memory card containing videos and photos which could have landed Sarmistha in trouble, for which she was trying to get the memory card.

Manas Swain, a resident of Godipokhari village in Ranpur area of Nayagarh district, was working as a cameraman for a Bhubaneswar-based web portal ‘Sampoorna’ run by Sarmistha Rout.

Manas was allegedly kidnapped when he was returning from Chandbali area in Bhadrak district on February 7. He had gone there to shoot a wedding function.

His family members had lodged a missing complaint with the Chandbali police on February 14.

During probe, police found the involvement of Bhagyadhar Nayak, Vivek Nayak and Krushna Chandra Nayak in abducting Manas and arrested the trio on March 12.

The abductors allegedly took Swain to ‘Dayal Ashram’ old age home at Sundarpada in Bhubaneswar. It was being run by Sarmistha.

Manas was assaulted and murdered at the old age home on the night of February 7 while the body was buried in Nayagarh district. Police had exhumed Swain’s body near Badhipatna hills in Rajsunakhala area of the district on March 12.

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