Police File 30,000-Page Chargesheet in BJP Leader Pitabas Panda Murder Case

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police on Monday filed a chargesheet in connection with the murder of BJP leader and senior lawyer Pitabas Panda, who was shot dead in Berhampur city on October 6 last year.

According to sources, the police submitted a voluminous 30,000-page chargesheet before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Berhampur. The documents were reportedly brought to the court in two large tin boxes, underscoring the scale of the investigation.

Pitabas Panda, a member of the Odisha State Bar Council, was attacked by two bike-borne assailants while returning home on his scooter around 10 pm on October 6. The miscreants allegedly opened fire at close range, leaving Panda with bullet injuries to his chest. He was rushed to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition but was declared dead on arrival.

The police have so far arrested 16 persons in connection with the case, including BJD leader and former Berhampur MLA Bikram Panda and former Berhampur mayor Siba Shankar Das, who are named as key accused.

Investigators have claimed that the murder was the result of political, business, and professional rivalry. According to the police, the prime accused allegedly conspired to eliminate Panda and hired sharpshooters to carry out the killing.

Notably, Pitabas Panda had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after quitting the Congress ahead of the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha. He was known for actively raising his voice against alleged irregularities in Berhampur city and Ganjam district during the tenure of the previous government.

Further proceedings in the case are awaited as the court takes cognisance of the chargesheet.