In a major development in a 14-year-old murder case, Odisha police arrested 73-year-old Nama Bisoi, who had been on the run since 2011, in connection with the brutal killing of environmentalist Bramhan Singh in Gajapati district.
According to Mohana police, Bisoi was arrested from Bandhapada on Thursday after they received a credible tip-off about his whereabouts. The fugitive had changed his identity and was living on a remote hilltop, about 30 km from his native village Deulakhani, where he engaged in farming.
On November 9, 2011, Bisoi, his four brothers, and others allegedly dragged Bramhan Singh from his home in Mallipadar and stoned him to death over a land dispute related to a plantation drive. In a gruesome act, they mutilated the victim’s body after the killing.
Singh was a recipient of the Prakruti Mitra Award for his contributions to afforestation in the region, an effort that had drawn resentment from Bisoi and his family, who opposed sapling plantation on their claimed land.
Police had previously arrested Santosh Bisoi and Lulu Bisoi, Nama’s brothers, shortly after the crime. However, the remaining suspects, including Nama, evaded capture for over a decade.
“Nama had assumed a false identity and avoided digital and social contact while hiding in Bandhapada, making it difficult to track him,” said Inspector-in-Charge Basant Kumar Sethi of Mohana Police Station.
After the arrest, Bisoi was admitted to a hospital in Mohana for medical attention due to his advanced age.
Authorities have intensified efforts to trace the remaining two absconding brothers, believed to be hiding in neighboring forest or hilly areas. “Although Nama hasn’t revealed their locations, we are hopeful of apprehending them soon,” said a police officer involved in the investigation.
