A Ganjam court in Odisha delivered a resounding verdict on Friday, imposing life sentences on five accused in the gruesome 2020 murder of Berhampur trader Lambodar Muni during a botched robbery. The decision closes a dark chapter that began with a violent intrusion into Muni’s business premises.
Details of the crime paint a chilling picture. On June 13, 2020, Muni, proprietor of Heritage Milk Products distributor Mahalaxmi Bhandar, was in his Hillpatna warehouse when a group of thieves entered under cover of darkness. They made off with 10 lakh rupees and 20-25 grams of gold after fatally assaulting him.
District police filed an FIR at Gosaninua Gaon station the next day, but progress was hampered. Muni’s son escalated the matter to the Odisha High Court, which on September 27, 2023, mandated the Crime Branch’s involvement. By December 1, 2023, arrests were made: Rupesh Padhi aka Shiva Mahakud, Ranjeet Sahu aka Naka, Sri Nu Patra, and Shankar Sahu.
Key evidence included recovered loot identified by Muni’s wife and children, plus 41 witness depositions, CCTV clips, and phone records linking the gang. The court found them guilty on January 28, 2026, formalizing the punishment recently.
Prosecutorial arguments, backed by irrefutable oral and documentary proof, left no doubt of their guilt. This case exemplifies how persistence and advanced policing can overcome initial setbacks, restoring faith in the judicial system for Odisha’s residents.