Bhubaneswar, (Reporter’s Pen): The Commissionerate Police have uncovered the murder of a missing builder, Nabaghan Pattasani, alias Banka, whose dead body was found near a riverbank in Niali. The police have revealed that he was killed by an employee over unpaid salary. Two people, including the main accused, have been arrested in connection with this incident. The arrested individuals are Banti Digal, alias Nitesh Chaudhary (27) from Murusundi near Birmaharajpur in Sonepur, and Bijay Nayak (37) from Kandhamal, residing in Dumuduma, Khandagiri. A case has been registered against them, and they have been produced in court.
According to Police Commissioner Sanjiv Panda, builder Nabaghan Pattasani, alias Banka, left his residence in Baramunda around 8:30 AM on July 19th in his Fortuner car (OD02-CE-5050). Before leaving, the accused, Banti, had called him. However, he never returned home, and his mobile phone was switched off. With no information available, his wife, Sulochana, filed a complaint at Bharatpur police station.
While the investigation was ongoing, the police received information from Govindpur police station on the 29th regarding the discovery of an unidentified dead body. Upon showing photos and identifying the body, Banka’s family confirmed the deceased’s identity, prompting the police to intensify their investigation. Initially suspecting Banti, the police began probing the case, examining CCTV footage, scientific evidence, and mobile call records. In the meantime, the deceased’s car was recovered from Bhubaneswar, where the accused had kept it for monetary purposes. Following this, the police accelerated their investigation and arrested the accused, who confessed to the crime and explained the motive behind the murder. The police conducted a scene reconstruction with the accused and seized the materials used in the murder.
Behind the Murder…
Accused Banti has been living in Bhubaneswar for the past 13 years, having come from Sonepur district. He was employed at various hotels and shops to earn his livelihood. For the last four years, he had been acquainted with the deceased and had become close to him. The accused used to manage Banka’s JCB, Fortuner, tractor, and other vehicles and was actively involved in the deceased’s land business. Banka had promised to employ him with a monthly salary, but he failed to keep this promise.
For the past seven months, the accused had been staying at Sri Sai Lodge in Ghatikia. He was planning to open a restaurant in Bhubaneswar, for which he needed money. Additionally, he had borrowed 3.5 lakh from several people, who were also pressuring him to repay the loan. Under this stress, Banti had repeatedly asked the deceased for his salary, but Banka did not help him. Two months ago, Banka even slapped him in public, leading Banti to seek revenge.
According to the plan and prior preparation, the accused Banti purchased a kitchen knife and invited Banka to his lodge on the 19th. After Banka arrived, the two consumed alcohol together. During this time, Banti asked him for money, leading to an argument. In an intoxicated state, Banti struck Banka’s head with a beer bottle, causing him to fall, and then stabbed him in the back with a knife, resulting in Banka’s death at the scene. Afterward, Banti locked the room and left in Banka’s car. Near Chandrasekharpur Petrol Pump, he sold the car to a youth named Subrat and returned with the money.
He then returned to the crime scene, called the other accused, Bijay, who was a driver for a rented Innova, and bought a polythene sheet from Khandagiri Chhak. They wrapped the dead body and transported it in the Innova to Khandla Bridge near Govindpur, where they disposed of the body into the river. They packed the victim’s clothes, weapons, and other evidence in a bag and threw it into the Hansapal Canal on their way back. On the 20th, Govindpur Police recovered the dead body from the river.
