The Odisha government has suspended Sushant Kumar Panigrahi, a doctor attached to Berhampur Circle Jail, over allegations that he helped arrange a phone conversation between the murder accused and former Berhampur MLA Bikram Kumar Panda and a key witness in the Pitabas Panda murder case.
The Health and Family Welfare Department placed Panigrahi under suspension immediately and suspended him on Saturday. The suspension came after police filed a new case against Panigrahi, Panda and Panda's associate Madan Dalai on charges of threatening a witness and offering to help him change his testimony.
Panigrahi is a Group-A junior branch Leave Training Reserve Medical Officer from Berhampur City Hospital and had been deployed at the jail as a specialist in psychiatry. During his suspension, his headquarters will remain at City Hospital, Berhampur, and he cannot leave the headquarters without prior permission from the competent authority.
Alleged Phone Call From Inside Berhampur Jail
The allegations emerged after Lalit Mangaraj, a leading witness in the Pitabas Panda murder case, approached Gosaninuagaon police on September 1.
According to his complaint, Panda and Dalai went to Panigrahi's chamber inside the jail on August 28. The doctor used his personal mobile phone to make a WhatsApp call to Mangaraj and told him that Panda wanted to speak with him.
Panda took the phone and spoke with the witness, police alleged. The conversation allegedly included attempts to influence Mangaraj's testimony through inducements and threats, the complaint said. Mangaraj also provided an audio recording of the conversation to the police, police said.
Police are investigating the call, including whether the communication was via an inmate’s cell phone and how a cell phone was used in the jail despite restrictions on mobile phones.
Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said investigators examined call-detail records, audio recordings and CCTV footage as part of the preliminary inquiry. Police also seized Panigrahi's mobile phone for technical examination.
Doctor Questioned By Police
Panigrahi was questioned by police for nearly three hours after investigators visited the jail as part of the probe.
Police are now examining the seized device and other evidence to establish who used the phone, when it was used and what happened during the alleged conversation. CCTV footage from the jail has also been examined, officials said.
The police had previously said departmental action could be recommended against the doctor if his role in facilitating prohibited communication was established. This was followed by the suspension by the Health and Family Welfare Department after registration of the new case.
The suspension order cites contemplated disciplinary proceedings under the Odisha Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1962. Panigrahi will be entitled to a subsistence allowance during the suspension period according to the applicable service rules.
The allegations against the doctor have not been established by a court.
Bikram Panda Faces Fresh Case
The recent developments add another layer to the investigation into Bikram Kumar Panda, a former Berhampur MLA and BJD leader.
Panda was arrested in connection with the murder of senior advocate Pitabas Panda, who was killed in October 2025. Panda spent several months in custody before the Orissa High Court granted him conditional bail on September 1, 2026.
The new police case concerns allegations that a witness in the murder case was intimidated while Panda was still in judicial custody.
The report said the alleged incident took place on August 28, a couple of days before Panda was granted bail. The investigation is also looking into the alleged role of Madan Dalai, who was named alongside Panda and Panigrahi in the new case.
Mangaraj also said that two unidentified people approached him near Khallikote High School Ground in Gosaninuagaon on September 1 and threatened him. He then sought police protection.
Investigation into jail phone use is ongoing
Apart from the alleged intimidation of the witness, investigators are investigating a separate question: how a mobile phone was used inside the prison in the first place.
Police will look at CCTV footage, call records and the doctor’s phone to determine the sequence of events. The phone was knowingly provided to an inmate, and whether anyone else was involved in facilitating the communication, the investigation is expected to show.
The case has also raised questions about security and communication restrictions inside the jail, particularly because the alleged call involved a key witness in a murder investigation.
For now, Panigrahi's suspension is an administrative action pending disciplinary proceedings. The charges against him and the other accused are under investigation and due legal process.
The police investigation into witness intimidation and the circumstances involving the doctor’s phone is ongoing.
