Bhubaneswar, Sept 3: Former Crime Branch IG Arun Bothra appeared as a key witness in the Patnagarh Additional District Judge court on Tuesday, in connection with the 2018 parcel bomb explosion case that resulted in the deaths of two people, including a newlywed.

Bothra, who was the 60th witness and led the investigation, provided crucial testimony. He had solved the mystery of the parcel bomb explosion and arrested the prime accused, Punjilal Meher, an English lecturer.

As part of the investigation, Bothra reconstructed the entire crime scene, video-recording how Meher manufactured the parcel bomb and sent it to the victim’s family via courier.

The Crime Branch counsel has requested the court to display the CD containing the crime scene footage, but the defense counsel has opposed this. The next hearing is set for September 11.

The case dates back to February 23, 2018, when Soumyasekhar Sahoo and his grandmother were killed in an explosion while unwrapping a parcel they received as a wedding gift. Soumyasekhar’s wife, Reema Sahoo, was critically injured in the incident.

Reports suggest that Meher conspired to take revenge on Sanjukta, Soumyasekhar’s mother, after she assumed the position of Principal at Bhainsa College.

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