Odisha Crime Branch to probe case of ‘missing’ files
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered the Odisha Crime Branch to investigate alleged missing CMO files.
- Odisha Crime Branch is a state police unit that probes serious allegations using regular criminal investigation steps, including document checks and questioning of officials.
- Police describe the alleged missing record as connected to an A.S. Naidu Commission report linked to the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.
- Police are examining disappearance of two sets of records: one tied to the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati murder case and another tied to a revenue divisional commissioner-level inquiry report about a SUM Hospital fire in Bhubaneswar.
- Police summoned V. Karthikeya Pandian, Rajesh Verma, and Manoj Mishra to appear before the probe team; Pandian and Verma did not appear, while Manoj Mishra presented his side.
What happened: Odisha Crime Branch probe into alleged missing Chief Minister’s Office files
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered that an alleged missing file case from the Chief Minister’s Office be investigated by the Odisha Crime Branch. The reported files are said to be linked to official inquiry records that police are checking for disappearance.
Mohan Charan Majhi’s statement, as reported, connects the alleged missing records to an A.S. Naidu Commission report related to the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. Police are also examining the disappearance of two other files: one connected to the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati murder case and another related to a revenue divisional commissioner-level inquiry report about a fire at SUM Hospital and Medical College in Bhubaneswar.
UPSC can frame the case around administrative integrity and criminal investigation credibility: whether record custody, document availability, and cooperation from summoned officials help establish facts in sensitive matters.
