The full timeline and conspiracy behind the death of the senior advocate and BJP leader, who was shot dead under Baidyanath police limits on the evening of October 6, during the Kumar Purnima festival, have been made public by Berhampur police in a significant development in the sensational Pitabas Panda murder case.
Investigations reveal that the crime was carefully organised because of a combination of personal and political animosity, involving several suspects, some of whom had deep ties to former politicians, according to Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M.
The Bihar team's initial reconnaissance
Six senior police teams were assembled to look into the matter as soon as a formal complaint was filed, according to Berhampur SP.According to the investigation, a Bihar team travelled to Berhampur from September 10 to 14 in order to monitor Panda's whereabouts and devise a plan to eradicate him. According to reports, anti-socials Uma Bisoi and Jogi, also known as Joginder Raut, brought the team to Berhampur, with Simanchal Nayak acting as a liaison.
Four people remained in a rented home in Alkapuri after receiving instructions from Uma and Jogi. Malay Bisoi deceived the landlord, Soumya Das, by claiming they were in town for medical care. Although the group falsely stated they were receiving treatment at MKCG Hospital, Soumya was suspicious because two of the visitors were from Bihar.

The first murder plot was cancelled.
At first, the gang had agreed to carry out the murder on September 14 in exchange for an advance payment of Rs 10 lakh. The plan was cancelled, though, when one of the young Biharis had to return to Bihar right away due to a personal emergency—his wife had miscarried.
Establishment of the Second Assassination Squad
After the unsuccessful attempt, Uma Bisoi put together a second team made up of Kurupati Bhuyan and Chintu Pradhan, two young people from the area; Chintu travelled from Bangalore. They started tracking Panda's movements after being housed at a private bachelors' facility only 200 meters from Panda's home.

Rs 3 lakh for driving and Rs 5 lakh for firing were promised to the gunmen. Chintu was supposed to operate the motorbike, while Kurupati Bhuyan was supposed to fire the shots.
The Murderous Night
The two were given two pistols, a car, new clothes and shoes when they moved into an abandoned building in Alkapuri that was still under construction the day before the murder. When Panda arrived at 10:01 p.m. on October 6, the assailants greeted him before starting to shoot. Chintu was operating the motorbike when Kurupati Bhuyan fired at Panda.

Following the assault, the attackers used the Mausi Maa Mandir and All India Radio routes, changed their clothes, shoes, and helmets at Stilapalli, buried the guns, and drove on to Purushottampur, where they left the car behind a tea shop near Rameswaram, to reach the NH route.
While Kurupati relocated to Puri and then to Jeypore, where he was housed for four days by Sunil Hota, a friend of former MLA Bikram Panda, before being sent out the state, Chintu took the train back to Bangalore.
Financial Motive and Ongoing Manhunt Investigations The entire arrangement for Panda's murder was Rs 50 lakh, with Uma Bisoi receiving an advance of Rs 10 lakh from Malay Bisoi. Kurupati Bhuyan and Uma Bisoi are still at large.

Revealed: Personal and Political Rivals
Former Berhampur Mayor Siba Shankar Das (Pintu Das), whose assistant Shanti Mishra was killed in 2013, was also implicated in the investigation. In the case, Pitabas Panda was the accused's attorney.
According to the police, Bikram Panda, Pintu Das, Madan Dalai, and Malay Bisoi allegedly felt that Panda's presence would jeopardise their political careers, hence the plot had both political and personal components.
After multiple assassination attempts, Pintu Das had previously filed a formal complaint against Panda in an attempt-to-murder case. Investigators emphasised that Panda's murder was a well-planned, weeks-long crime that was carried out by several teams using extensive monitoring and reconnaissance.

Arrests and Found Evidence
Twelve suspects have been taken into custody and sent to court thus far. The firearms used in the murder have also been seized by the police. Pintu Das was linked to the crime by technical evidence, and investigations are still underway to catch the other conspirators, such as Kurupati Bhuyan and Uma Bisoi.
"This case reflects a well-planned and orchestrated plot motivated by political rivalry and personal enmity," said SP Saravana Vivek. We're determined to find everyone responsible and make sure justice is done.