Bhubaneswar, Oct. 22 -- In a dramatic late-night development, former MLA and Ganjam district BJD president Bikram Kumar Panda has reportedly been picked up by police in connection with the sensational murder of BJP leader and lawyer Pitabas Panda.

Sources said a police team, led by Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M, reached Panda's residence late at night and took him into custody for questioning.

Following the news, a large number of Panda's supporters gathered outside the Baidhyanathpur police station, demanding to know his whereabouts. However, the police have not yet disclosed where the former legislator has been detained.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that police have also detained former Berhampur Mayor Siba Shankar Das alias Pintu Das,...