BJP leader Pitabash Panda shot dead in Odisha’s Berhampur
Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 (UNI) Unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead BJP leader Pitabash Panda in Berhampur city of Odisha’s Ganjam district late last night, police said.
Panda, who was also a practising lawyer and a member of the Odisha State Bar Council, was attacked near his residence in Brahma Nagar.
According to police, two bike-borne men fired at him from point-blank range. One of the bullets pierced his chest, leading to his death.
He was rushed to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Police suspect the killing was premeditated and are probing both professional and political rivalry angles. “A special squad has been constituted to crack the case at the earliest,” they said.
CCTV footage from the surrounding areas is being examined to identify the attackers.
Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal, Berhampur MP Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, and State Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, among other BJP leaders, visited Panda’s residence and met the bereaved family to offer condolences.
