Senior advocate shot dead in Odisha’s Berhampur

Senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabash Panda was shot dead by unidentified men near his residence in Odisha’s Berhampur on Monday (October 6, 2025) night, police said.

The incident took place in the town’s Brahma Nagar area.

Panda, who was also a member of the Odisha State Bar Council, was previously associated with the Congress.

According to police, two bike-borne men allegedly fired at him from a close range while he was standing on a roadside. He was taken to MKCG Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Police said the motive behind the attack is still under investigation.

State’s Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, who along with several BJP leaders rushed to the medical college and hospital after hearing about the attack, condemned the incident.