A lower court here on Saturday allowed the city police to take key murder accused Paresh Mohapatra and two of his associates on remand for further interrogation. Mohapatra and nine of his associates are now cooling their heels behind the bars for allegedly killing the former’s live-in partner Alakananda Mishra, a schoolteacher.
In fact the court’s order for police remand came just a day after it had turned down the police plea for brain mapping of Mohapatra. Cuttack SDJM Abhilash Palei allowed the police plea to take the key accused Mohapatra and his associates Pranabesh Ray and J Kameswar Rao on remand for only two days, instead of three days as was sought by the police.
The trio along with seven other persons was arrested by the city police for killing a married woman Alakananda Mishra and disposing of her body by burning it secretly in a city crematorium. Mohapatra, also a married person, was staying in a live-in relationship with Alakananada in a rented house here at Abhinav Bidanasi under the Markatnagar police station.
The police quoting Mohapatra’s statement recorded under Section 161 of CrPC said the key accused alone killed his partner on July 29 by strangulating her in a dupatta over a personal feud. He later with the help of Ray and Rao arranged an ambulance and some labourers and disposed of the body on the same night.
Sources said the police would take the accused on remand from the Choudwar Circle Jail on Sunday. All the ten arrested persons were produced before the court of the magistrate on the day when the prosecution moved its application to take Mohapatra, Ray and Rao on remand.