Bhubaneswar, Jun 2: The Crime Branch on Tuesday arrested another accused in the murder case of Balianta youth Soumya Ranjan Swain, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 18.

The latest accused, Pradeep Mangaraj, alias Dipu, a resident of Benupur under Balianta, was arrested from Dhenkanal district after allegedly remaining on the run since the incident.

According to Crime Branch officials, Pradeep had been changing locations and concealing himself to evade arrest. Investigators said he played an active role in the assault on Soumya and was identified through video footage collected during the investigation.

Addressing a press conference, Crime Branch IG Sarthak Sarangi said 18 accused have so far been arrested in the case. While Balianta Police had earlier arrested 11 persons, the Crime Branch arrested seven more after taking over the investigation.

The IG said another six to seven accused are still absconding and efforts are underway to apprehend them at the earliest.

‘Not A Pre-Planned Murder’
Responding to questions on the nature of the crime, IG Sarthak Sarangi said the investigation has so far not indicated that the killing was a pre-planned act of violence.

On questions over why the two women complainants and Soumya's friend Om have not undergone lie-detection tests, the officer said their statements had already been recorded and investigators had not found grounds to suspect that they were giving false statements.

He added that the investigation is continuing and polygraph tests could be considered later if required.

According to the IG, the statements of local witnesses are broadly consistent with those given by the two women.

Drugs Angle Under Investigation
The Crime Branch further revealed that traces of drugs were found in Soumya's blood and urine samples.

Investigators are now examining whether Soumya was a regular consumer of narcotic substances and whether that aspect had any connection to the events leading up to the incident.

No Criminal Case Against Police Personnel
Responding to questions on whether action would be taken against police personnel present during the incident, the IG said police and PCR teams had attempted to protect Soumya from the mob assault.

He maintained that investigators have not found evidence of any active involvement by police personnel in the violence.

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However, he acknowledged that certain actions expected at the scene may not have been taken. He said appropriate administrative action has already been initiated against the concerned officials at the departmental level.

The Crime Branch said the investigation remains ongoing and further arrests are expected as efforts continue to trace the remaining absconding accused.