Sridhar Panda, alias Santosh, the prime accused in the high-profile Nayapalli rape case, was sent to judicial custody following his discharge from the hospital.
Panda, a 24-year-old native of Ganjam district's Jagannathprasad area, was arrested after being shot in the leg during a police encounter near the Chandaka forest on Saturday, October 3, while attempting to flee.
The Commissionerate Police cracked the case within two days by analyzing footage from over 300 CCTV cameras and technical data. Investigators revealed that Panda, who allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint during a robbery, also operated a major bike theft and sales racket. Two of his accomplices have been arrested as well.
Following medical treatment for his encounter injuries, Panda was produced in court and remanded to jail.