Paralakhemundi, November 2: Bidya Bharati Panda, wife of the deceased Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, was on Monday sent to judicial custody for 13 days after surrendering before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court in Paralakhemundi.

The court rejected her bail plea and ordered her remand to judicial custody, her counsel Sisir Kumar Jena said.

Her surrender came two days after the Orissa High Court dismissed her anticipatory bail application on October 31. She had approached the High Court seeking protection from arrest in connection with the high-profile ACF death case.

The incident dates back to July 11, 2021, when Soumya Ranjan, who was then posted as ACF in Paralakhemundi of Gajapati district, sustained nearly 80 per cent burn injuries under mysterious circumstances at his official residence. He was initially admitted to a local hospital and subsequently shifted to Cuttack for advanced medical treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries.

On July 14, 2021, the deceased officer's family lodged a police complaint alleging murder and accusing his wife, Bidya Bharati Panda, the then Gajapati Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sangram Behera and cook Manmath Kumbha in connection with the incident.

Considering the sensitivity of the case, the Odisha government transferred the investigation to the Crime Branch in August 2021.

Bidya Bharati's surrender marks a significant development in the case, which has remained in the spotlight since the ACF's death in 2021 and triggered widespread public attention over the circumstances surrounding the incident.