Cuttack: The Dhal Samant brothers, accused of kidnap and murder of two associates more than four years ago, will face trial at the court of district and sessions judge here from March 11.

Cuttack police had arrested Sushant and Sushil Dhal Samant on January 29, 2016, for their alleged involvement in kidnapping and murder of Manoj Mallick. Later, they were also charged with kidnapping and murder of Om Prakash Swain.

The police had filed charge sheets naming the siblings as the prime accused, along with 12 others as co-accused, in the two cases in May-June, 2016.

Manoj and Om had allegedly been abducted from their houses in Cuttack and beaten to death at a farm house near Athagarh in Cuttack district in November 2013. Later, their bodies were taken to Paschini Singhbhum in Jharkhand, dumped there and set on fire by using petrol. After some villagers spotted the half-burnt bodies and informed the police, they recovered those but could not identify them. During investigation evidences found at the farm house were linked with those related to the bodies.

The district and sessions judge (Cuttack) on Thursday framed charges against the duo for murder, abduction, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy and in the Arms Act along with 12 others on the basis of the charge sheets. The court has fixed March 14 and 18 for the prosecution submission of evidence of witnesses.