Bhubaneswar: In today’s development during the third day of marathon interrogation of the accused people, including Sarmishtha Rout and Niranjan Sethi, the Crime Branch has found new pieces of evidence in relation to cameraman Manas Swain’s murder case.
Reportedly, Niranjan and Sarmishta are being interrogated at the crime branch office whereas Jhuna and Ranjan were taken to another location for interrogation.
During the interrogation, the accused Ranjan confessed to have kidnapped Manas from Palaspur under Chandbali police limits in Bhadrak along with mastermind Sarmistha Rout, Jhuna Bhoi, Bhagyadhar Nayak in Sarmistha’s car and brought him to Dayal Ashram under Airfield Police Station in Bhubaneswar. They assaulted him brutally at the Ashram.
Niranjan Sethi had also assaulted the deceased in the Ashram. After his death, they had shifted the dead body in the same car and disposed of the dead body under Ranpur police limits in Nayagarh.
After disposal of the dead body, they proceeded to a place located on the side of Daitari –Paradeep express High way about two kilometers from Chandikhole where they burnt the belongings like One mobile earphone, One pair footwear of Manas, and a jute sack in which they had wrapped the dead body and saree following which they had thrown the weapons used for digging and burring the dead body in the nearby bush.
Based on the statement of Ranjan, IO, official witnesses on requisition and scientific team proceeded to the place led by him this morning. From the spot One half-burnt mobile earphone, One pair of half-burnt footwear of Manas Swain, One Spade, One Gainti, One half-burnt jute sack, and one half-burnt saree have been seized.
It is yet to be ascertained whether there was anybody else with Ranjan during the whole crime scene or not. Manas’s mobile phone was found by Chandbali police in Chandikhol on March 15.
Notably, the Crime Branch will take the accused for crime scene recreation on Friday.
Ms Kalinga