BHUBANESWAR: A court in Bhadrak on Sunday allowed the state crime branch to extend the custodial remand period of web channel editor, Sarmistha Rout, and her associate, Jhuna Bhoi, to three more days for further interrogation in connection with the abduction and murder of cameraman Manas Swain.
Rout and Bhoi, along with two more accused, former Odisha information service officer Niranjan Sethy and Ranjan Nayak, were produced before the court of the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) at Chandbali in Bhadrak on the completion of their five-day remand on Sunday.
“We prayed to the court for the extension of the remand period of the four accused for five more days. The court granted us permission to take Rout, who is the prime accused, and her aide Bhoi on a further three-day remand. We have been asked to produce the duo in court in the afternoon on April 7,” a senior crime branch official said.
Sethy and Nayak have been sent to judicial custody.
The crime branch sleuths said they want to extract more information from Rout and Bhoi about the mysterious and much talked-about memory chip that allegedly triggered the murder.
Swain, who used to work for Rout’s portal, was reportedly in possession of the chip, which contained some objectionable photos and videos. Rout wanted to obtain the chip.
Sources said Rout and Bhoi are likely to be subjected to a polygraph test soon. Rout was arrested by the crime branch on March 28.
