CRUCIAL BREAKTHROUGH IN MISSING ODISHA CMO FILES CASE: PANDIAN, TWO OTHER EX-BUREAUCRATS DEPOSE BEFORE CRIME BRANCH

BHUBNEWSAR- The ongoing high-profile investigation into the mysterious disappearance of sensitive files from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) entered a decisive phase after the Odisha Crime Branch recorded the statements of former senior bureaucrats VK Pandian, Rajesh Verma, and Manoj Mishra. Crime Branch Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sarthak Sarangi confirmed that all three key officials from the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) administration formally deposed and recorded their statements regarding the movement of the missing files.

In what is being termed a major breakthrough, the Crime Branch has established a definitive trail for the missing records. According to Crime Branch IGP Sarangi, the three former bureaucrats explicitly accepted that the CMO had officially received the files under the previous Naveen Patnaik administration. The probe agency has also successfully retrieved official receipt copies confirming the arrival of the documents at the CMO.Despite acknowledging receipt, the current whereabouts of the documents remain unknown as the officials stated they were unaware of their present location.

The investigation focuses on two vital reports missing since the June 2024 transition of power:

• The Justice AS Naidu Commission Report: Investigating the 2008 Kandhamal violence and assassination of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.
• The SUM Hospital Fire Inquiry Report: Examining the tragic 2016 Bhubaneswar hospital fire

Following an FIR lodged on June 10 and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi handing the case to the Crime Branch on July 28, the probe continues. Investigators caution that it is premature to allege deliberate theft, treating the matter currently as missing official records while examining file routing. The inquiry may expand to other former political executives, with investigations actively ongoing.