Berhampur: After spending over 10 months in jail in connection with the murder of a senior advocate, former MLA (Berhampur) Bikram Kumar Panda on Tuesday walked out on bail a day after Orissa high court granted him bail on Monday.Panda was released from Berhampur circle jail here after furnishing a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two securities of like amount each, as per the direction of the trial court (additional district judge court-III). The court has also put a condition that the petitioner should not harass, threaten, terrorise or influence the victim’s family, the informant or any other prosecution witnesses, in any manner.Violation of conditions imposed by the court would entail re-arrest of the petitioner, the court said.Several BJD functionaries, including former ministers Debi Prasad Mishra, Pratap Jena, Sanjay Dasburma, Berhampur mayor Sanghamitra Dalai, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Rajya Sabha MP Manas Mangaraj and several others welcomed Panda at the jail gate after being released at about 6 pm, while hailing the court order. The jail gate was crowded with Panda’s supporters. “I have faith in the judiciary and the court has granted my bail petition,” said Panda, after being released from jail.Panda was arrested on Nov 6, 2025, along with 15 others, including former mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) Shiva Shankar Das and BJD corporator Malaya Bisoi for alleged involvement in the murder of senior advocate Pitabash Panda, also an active BJP member.Two bike-borne miscreants had shot Pitabas at close range near his home at Baikuntha Nagar under Baidyanathpur police station limits on Oct 6, 2025. He was rushed to medical college and hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
