Berhampur, Nov 28: In a significant breakthrough in the Pitabas Panda murder case, police have taken Sunal Hota and Shunya Chandra Das into two-day remand for questioning. Both were arrested in connection with the brutal killing of advocate Pitabas Panda, following ongoing investigations into the crime.

Earlier, several other suspects, including Kurupati Bhuyan, Chisnu Pradhan, Uma Bishoyi, and Yogi Rout, were also taken into remand for their alleged involvement in the murder. These suspects were interrogated face-to-face with those already in custody as part of the police’s strategy to unearth crucial information.

Sources confirm that during the remand period, the police recorded the suspects' statements via video recordings, a key element of the ongoing investigation. Police have been carefully examining every lead, with a special focus on understanding the network of individuals involved. Sunal Hota and Shunya Chandra Das were both questioned intensively at the Baidyanathpur police station as part of the probe.

The investigation has revealed several important details regarding the suspects' possible involvement in the murder. Authorities have learned that some of the suspects allegedly took refuge at various locations, including a farmhouse in Jaipur owned by Sunal Hota, where Kurupati Bhuyan and Uma Bishoyi are said to have hidden after the killing. Hota has been arrested for allegedly providing shelter to the fugitives, deepening the investigation into the wider criminal network behind the crime.

In a further twist, Shunya Chandra Das has also been detained for allegedly offering shelter to the suspects before the murder, at his residence in the Alakapuri area. This development has raised questions about the possibility of a conspiracy behind the crime, and investigators are now working to uncover the full extent of the suspects’ involvement.

Both Sunal Hota and Shunya Chandra Das are scheduled to be presented in court by the evening of November 29, 2025, in line with the court’s explicit instructions following the end of their two-day remand period.

The police continue to pursue leads in the case, aiming to bring further clarity to the circumstances surrounding the murder of Pitabas Panda.