Odisha: Former public relations official to Governor, CM held in cameraman homicide case, sordid particulars emerge

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR/BHADRAK: In a stunning twist to the homicide of cameraman Manas Swain, police on Monday arrested Niranjan Sethi, a retired officer of the Odisha authorities who as soon as served as public relations officer (PRO) with the Governor and Chief Minister’s workplace.

The Odisha Information Service (OIS) officer was allegedly current when Swain was forcibly delivered to an outdated age dwelling in Bhubaneswar the place he was overwhelmed to dying and his physique disposed of in Nayagarh district, Additional SP of Bhadrak Jatin Panda instructed the mediapersons.

Niranjan had final month retired as Director (Technical) of Information and Public Relations division. He was the Raj Bhavan PRO when Gopala Ramanujan was Governor between February 13-December 13, 1997.  He had additionally labored as PRO of former chief minister Giridhar Gamang between February 17, 1999 and December 6 the identical yr. 

So far, police have arrested 5 individuals in reference to the case – Niranjan, Ranjan Nayak, Bhagyadhar Nayak, Bibek Nayak and Krushna Chandra Nayak. However, the alleged mastermind of the crime, Sarmistha Rout, a Bhubaneswar-based internet channel and vernacular periodical Sampurna’s editor, continues to be absconding. Manas had earlier labored with the net channel of Sarmistha for about six months however give up in January after a fallout together with her.

Why he give up and what led to his homicide stays underneath investigation however Sethi’s hyperlinks have opened a can of worms within the I and PR division as a result of he’s believed to have facilitated accreditation for Sarmistha’s vernacular every day. 

The periodical was allegedly really helpful for presidency accreditation over the past days of Niranjan’s tenure as Director (Technical). It was given an commercial tariff which was additionally increased than different periodicals, sources say. How all this escaped the discover of the higher-ups of the division stays a thriller. 

Police stated preliminary investigation means that Manas was murdered as he was in possession of a reminiscence chip having some delicate content material associated to some excessive profile individuals.Manas had visited Palashpur village in Bhadrak district on February 6 to shoot a marriage. He was on his option to Digachhia on a two-wheeler the subsequent morning when at the least 5 individuals – Sarmistha, one other lady, Ranjan, Bhagyadhar and Bibek waylaid him.

Sarmistha requested Manas for the reminiscence chip. When he stated the reminiscence chip was in Bhubaneswar, they bundled the cameraman into the automobile and took him to an aged individuals’s shelter dwelling – Dayal Ashram, run by Sarmistha, close to Sundarpada. Manas was confined in a two-storeyed constructing for all the day on February 7 the place he was allegedly assaulted. While the shelter dwelling for the aged individuals is operating on the bottom flooring, the primary flooring of the constructing is mendacity vacant.

The accused served Manas dinner on February 7 evening and left the constructing. They discovered him lifeless after they returned to the spot the subsequent day.According to police, the culprits buried Manas’ physique close to Nayagarh district’s Budhipatna space at about 8 pm on February 8. Niranjan was conscious and a part of all of the planning associated to kidnapping in addition to disposal of the physique, police stated. 

In an try and mislead investigators, one of many accused Krushna wrote a letter posing as Manas. In the cast letter purportedly written by Manas, it was talked about that he admitted to his mistake, returned the ‘stolen’ reminiscence chip to Sarmistha after which she requested him to depart.

Bhagyadhar, Bibek and Krushna have been apprehended on March 12, following which the physique stays of Manas have been recovered the identical day. “Sarmistha has direct involvement in the murder. Raids are being carried out in various places to trace and nab her,” stated an officer of Bhadrak Police. Chandbali Police had registered a case underneath Sections 301, 302, 363, 364, 467, 471 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code on February 14 and additional investigation is continuous. Manas, a local of Nayagarh district’s Ranpur, is survived by his spouse and their three-year-old son.