Bhubaneswar, Apr 3: The Chandbali JMFC has granted 3 days more remand to the 4 accused of Cameraman Manas Swain murder case. Manas was assaulted and killed by the accused, Sharmistha Rout, Jhuna Bhoi, Niranjan sethi and Ranjan. Later, they disposed the body in Ranpur Badhipatana.Â
The Crime Branch moved the court seeking an extended remand for the four however, the JMFC allowed a 3-day remand for Sharmistha and Jhuna. According to sources, the Crime Branch is yet to ascertain the exact motive behind Swain’s kidnapping, murder and planned disposal of his body by Sarmistha, Sethi and others involved in the case.
Earlier on April 1, Sharmistha Rout confessed to having kidnapped and killed the Manas Swain.
She kidnapped Manas from Palaspur of Chandbali on March 7 with the help of Ranjan Nayak, Jhuna Bhoi, Bhagyadhar Nayak, and Nilu. They brought him to Dayal Ashram in Bhubaneswar and assaulted him brutally until his death. Later, they disposed of the body in Ranpur Badhipatana. She also recreated the crime scenes at different places including Ranpur Badhipatana, where Manas’s body was buried.
Prior to that, the accused Ranjan confessed to having kidnapped Manas from Palaspur under Chandbali police limits in Bhadrak in Sarmistha’s car and brought him to Dayal Ashram under Airfield Police Station in Bhubaneswar.
After disposal of the dead body, the accused people went to a place located on the side of Daitari –Paradeep express Highway about two kilometers from Chandikhole where they burnt the belongings of Manas including one mobile earphone, one pair of 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. The shreds of evidence were retrieved from the crime locations with the help of Ranjan.
