Berhampur: Bidya Bharati Panda, an accused in the murder of her husband, assistant conservator of forests (ACF), Paralakhemundi, Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, five years ago, was sent to judicial custody after her bail petition was rejected by the court on Monday.Panda (28) of Kaptipada surrendered in the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) court, Paralakhemundi, and later filed a bail petition in the court. “The court has rejected her bail and sent her to judicial custody till Nov 13,” said Rajesh Kumar Mishra, public prosecutor. Panda’s advocate Sisir Kumar Jena said they would file a bail application in the district and sessions court, Paralakhemundi.Sangram Keshari Behera, the then DFO, and his cook Manmath Kumbh are in judicial custody following rejection of their bail pleas earlier. Behera surrendered in court on July 28 while police arrested Kumbha from Karadasingh on Sept 30.Police registered a case against Behera, Panda and Kumbha after the deceased’s father Abhiram Mohapatra lodged an FIR in the police station at Paralakhemundi on July 14, 2021, accusing the trio of his son’s death.The ACF had sustained severe burn injuries on July 11, 2021, while Soumya Ranjan, along with his wife Bidya Bharati, was in his govt official quarter at Paralakhemundi. He was rushed to a private hospital in Cuttack, where he died the day after. His father alleged the incident was not an accident but a murder.Behera and Kumbha hatched a conspiracy while Panda allegedly set fire to his son. The govt had transferred the case to the crime branch. Behera, also a former director of the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC), was remanded to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected by the court on July 28, after he had surrendered in the SDJM court.