Odisha ADMO murder: One more arrested

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Sonepur, Sept 24:

Police today arrested one more person, who was absconding in connection with the brutal murder of Dr Durbadala Mishra, additional district medical officer (ADMO) of the district government hospital in Odisha’s Subarnapur district on Sunday night.

The person has been identified as Deepak Sahu.

Police had arrested Ashok Sahu of Babupalli village yesterday in connection with the murder. Prime accused Pratyush alias Babul Panda of Bada Bazar area of Sonepur town  is on the run.

Briefing newsmen after the arrest of Ashok Sahu (25) of Babupalli village yesterday, Sonepur SP Sara Sharma said interrogation  revealed that the murder plot was hatched by Pratyush Panda alias Bablu.

Giving details about the sequence of the crime, the SP today said Pradip Panda, staying at the Bada Bazar area of Sonepur town, had taken his eight-month-old ailing baby Anshu to Apollo Hospital in Bhubaneswar for treatment one-and-half years ago. But the baby continued to remain ill.

But when the baby son’s condition deteriorated, Pradip, accompanied by his brother Pratyush alias Bablu Panda, had taken him to Dr Mishra’s clinic for treatment.

According to a version, soon after Dr Mishra administered an injection, the hands and legs of Panda’s ailing son started swelling and he died after some time.

This had angered Pratyush and he vowed to take revenge on Dr Mishra.

Later, on September 4, Pratyush met his friend Ashok Sahu (25) of Babupalli village and planned the murder of Dr Mishra near a slaughter house at the weekly haat of the town.

The duo later had a meeting with Dipak Sahu about the plan.

As per the plan, the trio followed Dr Mishra in the night on September 21. As soon as Dr Mishra reached close his house, the three accused overpowered him and slit open his throat with the help of a wood chopping knife (Katuri in Odia) while one of them struck a blow on the face of Dr Mishra .

Soon after committing the crime, Ashok fled towards Phulbani in a bike while Pratyush and Dipak fled towards Manamunda after crossing the Mahanadi river.

“As we came to know about the involvement of Pratyush in the crime during the preliminary investigation, we tracked his mobile and that helped us to arrest Ashok after he arrived at Sonepur ”, the SP said.

She also said that Ashok, during interrogation, had informed the police that he was peeved at Dr Mishra who was charging exorbitant amounts for the injections which were supplied free of cost to him by the medicine companies.

“The police have seized a pair of blood-stained slippers and the axe from Ashok and seven rounds of live cartridges from Pratyush’s house at Bada Bazar during the raid, the SP said hoping that the police would be able to prepare sufficient grounds to arrest Pratyush today.