Senior lawyer and BJP leader Pitabasa Panda was shot dead late Monday night in Berhampur.
Police said two bike-borne assailants opened fire at Panda while he was returning home on his scooter. Locals rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Panda, a former Bar Council of India (BCI) member and noted RTI activist, had joined the BJP before the 2024 general elections after leaving the Congress. Known for his anti-corruption stance and work on several high-profile cases, including the Gopalpur gangrape. Panda was widely respected in southern Odisha.
Police said they were still probing the motive behind the killing and had not ruled out personal rivalry or involvement of organised crime. “We are investigating all possible angles, including local mafia links,” an officer said.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi condemned the killing and directed police to “expedite the investigation” and ensure “exemplary punishment” for the culprits. Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik criticised the BJP government, saying the incident reflected the growing sense of insecurity in the state.
BJD general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra said the murder exposed the “collapse of law and order” under the Majhi government. “Within 24 hours, three murders have taken place in Ganjam alone. Since the BJP came to power, there have been 128 murders in the district,” he alleged. Baxipatra also blamed the rise in illegal mining and sand loot for the deteriorating situation, saying “Ganjam has become a haven for criminals under BJP patronage.”
He added that peace and stability had prevailed under the previous Naveen Patnaik government, but law and order had “deteriorated drastically” since the BJP took charge.
BJP state president Manmohan Samal and other senior leaders visited Berhampur on Tuesday and met Panda’s family. “We are deeply pained by the incident. Our government will not spare anyone involved. Strict action will be taken,” Samal said, appealing to supporters to maintain peace and allow the investigation to proceed.
Police have intensified their search for the assailants and are examining CCTV footage from the area. A forensic team has also joined the probe.
Act condemned
BCI chairman and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra issued a letter saying the apex bar body expressed its “strongest condemnation and profound anguish at the cold-blooded shooting and murder of Pitabas Panda, a duly elected member of the Odisha state bar council. This barbaric act is not merely a crime against an individual; it is a direct assault on the independence of the legal profession and the rule of law in the state.”
The letter said that communications received from bar members across India revealed that Panda was targeted by armed miscreants.
The letter demanded decisive and time-bound action from the state government.
Additional inputs by PTI
