Odisha: Ex-Berhampur mayor, accused in BJP leader’s murder, shifted to phulbani jail for security

Berhampur (Odisha), Oct 31 (PTI) Shiva Shankar Das alias Pintu Das, one of the accused in the murder of lawyer and BJP leader Pitabash Panda, was on Friday shifted from the circle jail in Odisha's Berhampur to a prison in Phulbani, Kandhamal district, following a court directive, an official said.

Das, a former mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), was transferred after the subdivisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) accepted a plea by Berhampur jail authorities citing threats to his life as several of his rivals were lodged in the same facility, the official added.

Das’ wife Asha Kumari, however, appealed to the court to lodge him in a nearby jail in Ganjam district due to his ill health.

Jail authorities, however, said no jail in nearby area in the district is safe for the ex-mayor and appealed to shift him to Phulbani.

"Amid tight security, he was shifted to Phulbani," said DN Barik, senior superintendent, circle jail, Berhampur.

Das, along with former Berhampur MLA Bikram Kumar Panda and 14 others, was arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder of Panda near his residence at Baikuntha Nagar on the night of October 6.

According to police, around 43 cases, including the murder case of Panda, are pending against the former mayor. PTI COR BBM BBM MNB