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Former Berhampur MLA Bikram Panda arrested in BJP leader Pitabash Panda murder case

Police uncover conspiracy involving political rivalry, personal enmity, and contract killers behind Pitabash Panda’s killing shocking southern Odisha and sparking investigations

Former BJD MLA Bikram Kumar Panda after his arrest on Wednesday. Gopal Krishna Reddy

Subhashish Mohanty
Published 23.10.25, 05:06 AM

Police on Wednesday arrested former Berhampur MLA and president of the BJD’s Ganjam district unit, Bikram Kumar Panda, in connection with the murder of Bar Council member and BJP leader Pitabash Panda.

Pitabash was shot dead in front of his house in Berhampur town on October 6.

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Along with Bikram, 11 others, including former mayor of Berhampur Municipal Council Pintu Das and a corporator, have been arrested in the case.

Bikram was the Berhampur MLA from 2019 to 2024.

The police said a 50-lakh deal was made to eliminate Pitabash.

Personal enmity and political rivalry have been cited as the main reasons for the murder that sent shockwaves through southern Odisha.

Both Bikram and Pintu had allegedly conspired to eliminate the senior lawyer as he posed a significant threat to their careers. Bikram and his cohorts had engaged contract killers, some of them from Bihar, to kill Pitabash. An attempt on his life was made on September 14, but it failed.

A local sharpshooter was hired after two contract killers left Berhampur after the wife of one of them had a miscarriage.

The police found clues behind the murder when they arrested Sunil Hota of Jeypore in the Koraput district. He had sheltered the two contract killers on his farm. Sunil is a close associate of Bikram. Both Sunil and Bikram have known each other since their college days, with the former regularly attending Bikram’s party meetings and rallies, the police said.

Addressing a media conference, superintendent of police, Berhampur, Saravana Vivek, said: “Both Bikram Panda and Siba Shankar Das alias Pintu Das conspired together to eliminate Pitabash Panda due to financial, personal, and political reasons.”

Vivek explained: “Pintu had personal enmity with Pitabash Panda. A close associate and friend of Pintu, Shanti Mishra, was murdered in 2013. Thirteen accused persons were arrested, and Pitabash was the advocate for the accused. Das believed that the trial was delayed because of Pitabash and some main accused were released on bail due to him. One such accused, Mouza Mishra, who was out on bail, absconded and attempted to kill Pintu using firearms and bombs.”

Pintu has a criminal record with 38 cases against him.

The SP added: “Bikram and Pitabash were close friends since college. However, in 2018, when Bikram switched parties, Pitabash did not follow him, and their differences grew. Pitabash often criticised Bikram for his actions and alleged misdeeds.”

The police officer said Pitabash had in 2013 won the highest votes in the Odisha State Bar Council election, but Bikram used his influence to prevent him from becoming the vice-chairperson. “Their enmity increased from that point. Additionally, Bikram faced financial losses in several businesses, which he believed were caused by Pitabash through his influence,” he added.

The SP indicated that both Bikram and Pintu thought that as long as Pitabash was alive, their futures would be bleak.

Citing another motive, the SP said: “An election petition was filed in Orissa High Court in 2024 by Pintu through a proxy. The hearing, advocate fees and logistics were managed by Bikram and his aides. The petition challenged the affidavit submitted by the current MLA of Berhampur during the general election.”

Both Pintu and Bikram believed that MLA’s election would be disqualified, the officer said. “If that happened, Bikram hoped to secure the MLA ticket, with Pintu supporting his candidacy. In return, Bikram promised to support Pintu for the mayoral polls.”

The BJD alleged a conspiracy to defame the party ahead of the Nuapada byelection on November 11.

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