Berhampur: Ina dramatic turn in the sensational BJP leader Pitabas Panda murder case, former Berhampur mayor Shibashankar Das alias Pintu, one of the prime accused, was shifted from Berhampur jail to Phulbani jail under heavy police escort on Thursday. This marks yet another twist in the case that has shaken southern Odisha’s political and legal circles.

The jail authorities reportedly expressed concern over the security of Pintu in Berhampur jail, leading them to approach the court for an immediate transfer order. “There were credible threats to his safety,” said sources in the prison administration, revealing that potential enmity with inmates lodged in the same jail had prompted the move.

Pintu’s wife had earlier pleaded with the court to shift him to another jail in Ganjam district, citing familial proximity. However, the court, after reviewing the security, rejected the appeal, observing that no jail within the district was sufficiently secure to ensure his safety.

Accordingly, the court issued directives to shift Pintu to Phulbani jail, considered comparatively safer and more insulated from rival influences. Sources further said that Mouz Mishra, an accused in Shanti Mishra murder case, and his associates, are currently lodged in Berhampur and nearby jails, heightening apprehensions of possible gang reprisals.

The government prosecutor, Biswajeet Barala, informed that, as per court orders, future proceedings involving Pintu will be conducted via video conferencing, minimising security risks associated with physical movement.

With this transfer, the shadow of Pitabas Panda murder case grows deeper, intertwining power, politics and peril, as the once-powerful mayor now faces justice far from the city he once ruled.

On Tuesday, Odisha police had arrested Sunya Chandra Das, a resident of Khodasing, for allegedly sheltering the contract killers involved in Pitabas’ murder on October 6 night. Police have arrested 14 persons, including former Berhampur MLA Bikram Kumar Panda, for involvement in the murder.

Pitabas, a member of the State Bar Council, was gunned down by two motorcycle-borne assailants near his house at Baikuntha Nagar here while he was returning home on a scooter.