Bhubaneswar, 16 December (H.S.): In a major development in the murder case of senior lawyer and BJP leader Pitabas Panda, the Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ)-III court in Berhampur on Tuesday rejected the bail application of prime accused Bikram Panda, a former BJD legislator.

Sources said the court also dismissed the bail pleas of four other accused persons in connection with the case. The decision came after detailed hearings in the bail matter amid ongoing legal proceedings related to the arrest and custody of the former MLA.

Earlier, advocates representing Bikram Panda—K.K. Behera and Deepak Pattnaik—had approached the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court, challenging the legality of his arrest. The petition alleged that Panda was taken into custody without sufficient grounds and in violation of Articles 21 and 22 of the Indian Constitution, which safeguard personal liberty and prescribe due process.

The plea further claimed that the police did not adhere to mandatory arrest procedures and subjected the accused to undue hardship. The matter was heard on Thursday; however, the government counsel sought additional time to file a response, following which the SDJM court deferred the hearing.

While the SDJM court is yet to pronounce its order on the petition challenging the arrest, the ADJ-III court, after considering arguments from both sides, rejected the bail pleas of Bikram Panda and the other accused.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda