Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Crime Branch (CB) has recorded the statements of three former bureaucrats, including VK Pandian, in connection with the alleged disappearance of the reports of two inquiry commissions from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

This was revealed by Crime Branch Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sarthak Sarangi on Monday.

According to Sarangi, the cops have recorded the statements of VK Pandian and two other former bureaucrats—Rajesh Verma and Manoj Mishra—in connection with the missing CMO files. 

Pandian, a 2000-batch IAS officer, was serving as the Private Secretary to then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik before taking voluntary retirement from his job. He joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the 2024 simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly Polls in Odisha. However, he left politics following the defeat of BJD in the Assembly polls.   

Verma, a former IAS officer, had earlier served in the CMO while Mishra, a former IRTS officer, was the Principal Secretary to the Electronics and IT Department during the BJD govt in the state.

The police had earlier served notices on the three former officials to depose before them in connection with the case.  

The Home Department of the state government had lodged a police complaint in connection with the alleged disappearance of the reports of two inquiry commissions from the CMO.

Home Department Joint Secretary Sarat Chandra Marandi had lodged an FIR in this regard with the Capital Police in the city here.

As per the FIR, the inquiry reports in connection with the killing of Swami Laxmananda Saraswati in Kandhamal district and a fire incident at Sum Hospital and Medical College in the capital city went missing from the CMO.

 Justice AS Naidu Commission had submitted its report on the killing of Laxamananda Saraswati in 2016 while the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) had submitted the inquiry report on the fire incident in 2018.

“In their statements, the three former bureaucrats informed the cops that the CMO had received the two inquiry commission reports. But, they have no idea about the present whereabouts of the files. Further investigation into the matter is underway,” said the Crime Branch IGP.