Know how a year brewing rivalry leads to Paradip cold-blooded murder!

December 25, 2016 Crime

Bhubaneswar: Odisha stevedores limited (OSL) and its associate companies have been enjoying the monopoly over the stevedoring business of the Paradeep port since decades. Mahima Mishra is the owner/managing director of this company.

He also heads the Paradeep Port Stevedores Association (PPSA)which is basically a group of his supporter/associate companies. Of late, this monopoly was challenged by another new association namely“Utkal Stevedores Association”. Seaways shipping company is the member of this new group which emerged as the prime challenger to the old dominant company i.e. OSL.

This challenge was not liked by OSL and its chairman Mahima Mishra and he/associates started giving threat to the deceased who was heading the seaways company at Paradeep. Mahima Mishra and OSL tried other tactics also like to threaten to organize the mass strike in Paradeep port, port closure using his staff and associates to blackmail the port and district authorities.

The murder was first conceptualized in September 2015 itself between Mahima and Rakesh Choubey, during the port strike/closure (related to stevedoring issues: seaways getting contract from JSPL) however things were not pursued by Mahima Mishra as ultimately OSL and their associates could get the upper hand by blackmailing the port and district administration i.e. threat of prolonged strike/Bandh/Pradeep will be paralyzed etc.

However, the issue cropped up again in August-September 2016 after the seaways again got the contract from SAIL (Seaways had quoted the price of Rs 103 per ton against the 143 of OSL for stevedoring). Mahima and “associates” tried hard but could not paralyze the Paradeep port this time because of huge arrangement made by district and police authorities. This frustrated them and they decided to eliminate the Babuli @ mahendra swain who was the head of the rival company to send a chilling message that he can go to any extent to safeguard his monopoly over stevedoring business at Paradeep.

Arrested accused persons

Rakeshchoubey- from Sonari, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand- businessman/ middleman, a close associate of Mahima Mishra, OSL, and his supporters. Took advance of Rs 12 lakh from Mahima Mishra at OSL office Cuttack to arrange contract killer. Final amount could be very high. Yet to be ascertained.
RiyasatHussain@ Riyaz- from Chakradharpur, Jharkhand. Shooter and bomber. Engaged by RakeshChoubey and his associates. Has had spent 3 years in Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad Shamim @ neem@ Naeem- from Chakradharpur, Jharkhand. Bomb manufacturing expert engaged by RakeshChoubey and his associates.
ManojGochhayat- from attack. Shooter/carrier/helper/local guide engaged by RakeshChoubey and his associates.
Shiba- from,cuttack. Arranged auto/vehicle/carrier etc.
Arindam @ bapisarkhel: involved at conspiracy level, shelter, local guidance to Rakeshchobey, frequent users of Mahima/OSL’s airplane.his service as union leaders was utilized by Mahima to blackmail port/district administration in the name of strike/hartal/paralyzing the Paradeep industrial hub etc.

Sushant Sethy: he was in the loop of entire incident, a close aide oh Mahima who arranged everything post incident for Mahima like shelter, five-star hotels, air tickets, foreign bookings etc

Investigation Details:

Rakesh Choubey received Rs 12 lakh cash advance from OSL in September 2016 to execute the last year’s plan. Rakesh Choubey through his associates/criminals got the deceased killed on 26th October 2016
Rakesh Choubey was doing this work for money as well as favor like petty stevedoring/transportation/contract work from Mahima Mishra and his associates.
He also used to travel in the Mahima Mishra/OSL’s private airplane.
In the conspiracy part BasantkumarBalplayed important role along with others.
Jamshedpur, Kolkata, and Cuttack were the hub of entire conspiracy/planning. Though execution part was done in the Paradeep.Phulnakra and Sangam theater area in Cuttack were some of the important places in this conspiracy.
Police have seized the letter written by the deceased in which he has strongly declared that he faces the life threat from Mahima Mishra and his deputy Basant Kumar Bal.
This letter was sent to GEQD (Handwriting bureau) and the signature was found to be matching with the deceased.
Police have seized three bikes and one auto used in this crime: two of the bikes are stolen. CBZ extreme, Yamaha FZ and Hero Honda glamor.
Police have seized three sophisticated pistols along with around 50 ammunitions.
Police have seized 8 bottles along with gun powder and other bomb-making materials.
Police have seized some photographs in which the accused Rakesh Choubey can be seen using hospitality and aeroplane of OSL/Mahima Mishra.
Police have seized one fake Aadhaar card having address of dorondoRanchi, Jamshedpur.
Police teams have travelled various places of Odisha, West Bengal, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Jharkhand during the course of investigation which is still going on.
Police have seized /frozen around Rs 5 crore of the accused persons and OSL.
Police issued look-out notice against the accused persons so that they can’t escape the country.
Police also sent the Red Corner notice to CBI-INTERPOL against absconding Mahima Mishra and BasantkumarBal.
Police have requested the commissioner of police Cuttack- Bhubaneswar to cancel the arms licenses of Mahima Mishra and his son Charchit Mishra, which has already been done by Honorable commissioner of police.
Mahima Mishra and BasantkumarBal was also accused in the murder case of one union leader BichitranadMallick in 1998 in Paradeep.
Mahima Mishra was also involved in a kidnapping case in 1995 in Pradeep.
He is also involved in an attempt to murder case in colliery police station, Talcher, Angul in 2011. That was also a supari case arising related to contract awarding dispute. The investigation of this case is on. Police has moved for cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Mahimanand Mishra.
The role of Mahimanand Mishra in the killing of one Arun Bhatt in sadarps in Cuttack UPD in 2013 near DPS Kalinga arising out of a land grabbing case is under scrutiny. The complaint of this case was also attacked subsequently by means of bombing and firing, but he survived.
Mahima Mishra stayed mostly in luxurious five star hotels at various places in his fugitive period like New Delhi, Gurgaon, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bhimdutta (indo-Nepal Border), Kathmandu and Bangkok.
23. He tried hard to escape from India but could not because of the timely Look our circular. Lastly he chose to escape Nepal as there is open border and no need of passport and visa. But Odisha police was tracking him there also so he finally escaped to Bangkok.
Odisha police through appropriate agency kept tracking him even in Thailand.
Jagatsinghpur police is on the way to Bangkok to liaison with Thailand police and other agencies for further action.