Odisha police to take Mahima Mishra on remand from Jan 1 to 4

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Paradip, Dec 29:

The Kujang JMFC court today permitted Paradip police to take Odisha Stevedores Limited (OSL) Managing Director Mahimananda Mishra on remand from January 1 to 4.

Earlier in the day, the 4-day remand period of Mishra, which was scheduled to begin from today, was put on hold by the police on health grounds.

Notably, Mishra and firm’s Executive Director Basant Kumar Bal, both accused in the murder of Seaways Shipping and Logistics Private Limited (SSPL) General Manager Mahendra Swain, were admitted to Jagatsinghpur district headquarters hospital (DHH) on December 27 after they complained of chest pain.

While Bal was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Mishra was yesterday taken back to Samagol jail from the DHH after treatment and improvement in his health condition.

The duo was on December 27 produced at the residential court of the JMFC Kujang amid tight security and later sent to Samagol Jail as their bail pleas were rejected by the court.

They were brought to Bhubaneswar on December 26 and later taken to Paradip by a six-member team of the Jagatsinghpur police from Bangkok via Kolkata.

Both were detained at the Bangkok Immigration Centre after their arrest by the Thai immigration police from a luxury hotel in Parthum area on advice of Odisha police and Interpol.

Mishra and Bal had managed to escape to Nepal through open border where no passport and visa is needed and then gone to Bangkok in Thailand through tourist visa where they were finally detained as Odisha police were tracking them through appropriate agencies.

It may be recalled here that on October 26 shots were fired at Mahendra Swain near Ambedkar Bhawan at Madhuban Colony in Paradip. Two miscreants had hurled crude hand bombs at the SUV in which Swain was travelling. While Swain was fleeing to save his life after alighting from the vehicle, miscreants fired two rounds at him leading to his death.

Seven persons have been arrested by the police in connection with Swain’s murder so far. They are Rakesh Choubey, Riyasat Hussain alias Riyaz, Mohammad Shamim, Manoj Gochhayat, Shiba, Arindam alias Bapi Sarkhel and Sushant Sethy.

According to the police, Rakesh Choubey had received Rs 12 lakh cash in advance from OSL in September 2016 to execute Swain. Choubey through his associates got Swain killed on October 26 this year.