- Bidyabharati Panda surrendered before the SDJM Court in Paralakhemundi on November 2, 2026.
- The Orissa High Court rejected her anticipatory bail application on October 31.
- Bidyabharati, former DFO Sangram Keshari Behera and cook Manmath Kumbh are now in the custody of the judicial process in the 2021 death case.
Paralakhemundi: Bidyabharati Panda, wife of deceased Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mahapatra, surrendered before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court in Paralakhemundi on Monday in connection with the 2021 death case.
Her surrender came two days after the Orissa High Court rejected her anticipatory bail application on October 31, removing the possibility of protection from arrest through that plea.
The development marks another significant stage in the legal proceedings surrounding the death of the forest officer, which took place in July 2021.
High Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail Plea
Bidyabharati had approached the Orissa High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the case. Justice V. Narasingh rejected her application in an order dated October 31.
The court observed that the allegations and materials presented before it did not provide sufficient grounds to grant her pre-arrest bail. It also noted that the proceedings initiated by the SDJM Court had attained finality at the relevant stage.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had dismissed her Special Leave Petition but granted her liberty to approach the appropriate court for anticipatory bail.
Following the High Court’s rejection of her application, she surrendered before the SDJM Court on Monday.
What Happened in the ACF Soumya Ranjan Death Case?
The case dates back to July 2021, when Soumya Ranjan Mahapatra suffered severe burn injuries at his official residence in Paralakhemundi, Gajapati district.
He was initially taken for medical treatment and later shifted to a hospital in Cuttack, where he died on July 13, 2021.
Following his death, his father, Abhiram Mahapatra, lodged a complaint naming Bidyabharati Panda, the then Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sangram Keshari Behera and cook Manmath Kumbh.
The complaint alleged murder and criminal conspiracy.
Other Accused Already in Custody
Former DFO Sangram Keshari Behera had surrendered before the Paralakhemundi court in July 2026 and was subsequently sent to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected.
Cook Manmath Kumbh was arrested in September 2026 and is also in judicial custody.
With Bidyabharati’s surrender, all three persons named in the complaint have now entered the court process in connection with the case.
Crime Branch Investigation and Court Proceedings
The Odisha Crime Branch had investigated the death and submitted a chargesheet under Sections 285 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code against Bidyabharati, absolving the other two accused.
However, the deceased officer’s father filed a protest complaint before the SDJM Court. On April 12, 2023, the court took cognisance of offences under Sections 302 and 120-B of the IPC and issued process against the accused persons.
The subsequent legal proceedings have continued through the lower court, Orissa High Court and Supreme Court.
The case remains subject to judicial proceedings, and the allegations against the accused have not been established through a final trial verdict.
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