By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR/PATNAGARH: The Crime Branch has arrested Punjilal Meher, English teacher of Jyoti Vikash Junior College at Bhainsa, as the mastermind in the sensational parcel bomb explosion in Patnagarh that claimed the lives of software engineer Soumya Sekhar Sahoo and his grandmother on February 23.

He would be produced before a local court on Wednesday. Sources said Punjilal has confessed to the crime and motive. While his grudge against Sanjukta Sahoo, mother of techie Soumya Sekhar, is stated to have driven him on the murderous path, sources said the English lecturer made some mistakes which Crime Branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) laid his hands on.

Punjilal was Principal of the Bhainsa-based college for seven to eight years before being removed from the post and demoted as Sanjukta took the position. It left him extremely perturbed. Sources said Punjilal had attended the wedding of Soumya Sekhar and Reema in February. He even went to the house of the deceased after the blast and then to the hospital.

People, who know Punjilal alleged that he has a criminal bent of mind and was behind crime like theft of overhead wire, its disposal and such other crime but managed to escape from the clutches of law. This, they said had led to his introduction to Baibhasuta Bindhani of Jhulebar under Patnagarh police station who makes country made firearms.

Baibhasuta was also involved in a murder case and had shifted his base to Nuapada. It is believed that Baibhasuta could have packaged the bomb which was sent as a parcel after the explosive used in the bomb was procured from Nuapada.

A team of SIT led by IG, Crime Branch, Arun Bothra was in Raipur to track the man who sent the parcel from Raipur through Sky King Courier. Efforts are being made to ascertain whether franchise of Sky King Courier at Patnagarh Dilip Kumar Das and the delivery boy Sushanta Seth were in know about the content of the parcel.

The Crime Branch continues to detain both of them along with Baibhasuta, Odia teacher at National College, Nuapada, Shiba Prasad Sa and contractor Chandramani Meher of Udyanbandh after they were picked up in different phases.

Hang him, says techie’s wife

Reema Sahoo, wife of deceased techie Soumya Sekhar Sahoo, who is now recovering from burn injuries she sustained in the explosion demanded that all those involved in the crime should be hanged to death. She said the persons responsible for snatching the life of a husband from her wife should not be spared. “It is hard to believe that such a gruesome and inhuman crime was committed merely for a chair,” said Principal of Jyoti Vikash Junior College, Sanjukta Sahoo against whom Punjilal nursed grudge.