Sufficient evidence to arrest Mahima Mishra: Odisha DGP

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Nov 24:

Odisha police today claimed to have sufficient evidence against industrialist and Odisha Stevedores Limited (OSL) chief Mahimananda Mishra in the Mahendra Swain murder case and added that he will be arrested soon.

“We have sufficient evidence. We are trying to arrest him,” informed DGP K B Singh here today.

The police further claimed that it was verifying flight details of the OSL’s helicopter and three aircrafts to ascertain how these were used for ferrying criminals involved in the murder of Seaways Group General Manager Mahendra Swain.

Jagatsinghpur police today collected flying details of OSL’s aircrafts and helicopter for the last five years from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).

“We are trying to find out how his helicopters and planes were used. We are also trying to find out how criminals from Jharkhand were using it,” revealed Singh.

The police on Wednesday had cancelled firearms licenses of Mishra and his son Charchit.

Police had also issued a lookout circular against Mishra in connection with murder of Swain.

The OSL chief had moved the Orissa High Court seeking anticipatory bail and challenging the lookout circular.

It may be recalled here that on October 26 shots were fired at 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 himself after alighting from the vehicle, miscreants fired two rounds at him leading to his death.

Probing into the incident, Paradip police have so far arrested five accused– Rakesh Chaubey and Riyasat Hussain of Jamshedpur, Muhammad Samin of Jharkhand, and Manoj Gochhayat and Shiva of Cuttack.

Sources said, Chaubey had received Rs 12 lakh from OSL to arrange a contract killer for Swain’s murder. Chaubey had reportedly engaged Hussain to kill Swain.