Chandikhol: The probing-team of Odisha Crime Branch found some more evidence Thursday from Chandikhol area of Jajpur district in connection with alleged murder of cameraman Manas Swain.
According to a senior official, police have seized the objects including a pair of Swain’s half-burnt shoes, his mobile phone ear-cord and a jute sack. “During third day of marathon interrogation of the accused persons including Sarmistha Rout and Niranjan Sethi, the Crime Branch has found more evidence. A plan was made to conceal the evidence following murder of the lensman,” the official said.
The Crime Branch team has brought an accused in the case named Ranjan Nayak to Chandikhol in Jajpur to recreate crime scene.
Also read: Manas Swain murder: CB yet to recover the memory chip
Ranjan admitted to crime before the team during interrogation. He has also expressed that Sarmistha is the mastermind behind murder of Swain. Ranjan earlier visited Chandikhol to wipe out the evidence.
“Earlier in the day, Niranjan and Sarmistha were quizzed at the Crime Branch Office and Jhuna Bhoi while Ranjan were taken to another location. Ranjan confessed to have kidnapped Swain from Palaspur village under Chandbali police limits in Bhadrak district along with the mastermind Sarmistha, Jhuna and another Bhagyadhar Nayak in the key accused’s car. They brought him (Swain) to Dayal Ashram under Airfield police limits in Bhubaneswar and severely beat him at the old-age home leading to the cameraman’s death,” the official stated.
Niranjan had also beaten the victim in the Ashram. After the cameraman died, the accused had shifted the body in the same car and later disposed it of at a place under Ranpur police limits in Nayagarh.
It is pertinent to mention, the deceased cameraman’s mobile phone was found from near a tea stall in Chandikhol area.
The police team has taken four accused namely Sarmistha Rout, Niranjan Sethi, Jhuna Bhoi and Ranjan Nayak on a 5-day remand for interrogation in Swain murder case.
PNN