The tranquil rural area of Kaliagaon, located just 10 km from Jeypore in Koraput district, has become a focal point of mystery following the discovery of a connection between a seemingly unremarkable farmhouse and a shocking murder case. Owned by Sunil Hota, a Jeypore resident, this farmhouse has become a silent observer to a grim chapter — the hiding of two primary suspects in the high-profile murder of advocate and BJP leader Pitabas Panda. Sources indicate that Hota allegedly sheltered Uma Bisoyi and Kurupatti Bhuyan, fully cognizant of their participation in the Pitabas murder. It is believed that they spent four days within the tranquil confines of Hota’s farmhouse, transforming the peaceful retreat into a haven of guilt and trepidation.
The once harmonious sounds of nature in Kaliagaon have been replaced by a heavy atmosphere of suspicion. Local residents now share hushed stories of the nights when the fugitives concealed themselves in its shadows. As investigations advance, Sunil Hota’s farmhouse stands not merely as a physical structure, but as a quiet witness to treachery and violence, harboring the undisclosed truths of a crime that sent shockwaves through Berhampur and beyond. The police have also been surveilling the farmhouse in Jeypore undercover, hoping for a glimpse inside, but the suspects were successfully moved to a different location. After the shooting of Pitabas, Kurupatti Bhuyan was a passenger on a bike ridden by Chintu Pradhan on the night of October 6.
They traveled past Mausima Mandir, Lochapa, and arrived at Sitalapalli village, where they changed their clothes, disposed of the garments worn during the crime, including a helmet, and buried their firearms. From Puri, Kurupatti Bhuyan made his way to Jeypore. Sunil Hota provided refuge for Uma Bisoyi and Kurupatti Bhuyan at his farmhouse in Jeypore. Hota has ties to BJD leader Bikram Panda, who has been arrested in connection with Pitabas Panda’s murder. To date, police have apprehended 14 suspects, including Sunil Hota, and have seized the mobile phone of a relative of Madan Dalei, who allegedly requested Hota to harbor the fugitives. The analysis of the call detail records from that phone has yielded significant leads, according to sources.
Additionally, police have arrested Sunya Chandra Das, who harbored four sharpshooters, including Sishupal Kumar Paswan and Kundan Kumar from Bihar, as well as two locals, Bipin Swain and Simanchal Nayak, at his Alkapuri home upon the request of corporator Malaya Bishoyi.