In a sensational development that has sent shockwaves through Odisha’s political corridors, two highly sensitive investigation reports — one on the 2008 murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and another on the deadly 2016 SUM Hospital fire — have mysteriously gone missing from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
The Odisha government has now formally lodged a police complaint, accusing unknown persons of making the critical files disappear. The Capital Police have registered an FIR (Case No. 460/2026) under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and destruction of evidence. A dedicated Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by an ACP and two Inspectors has been formed.
According to the complaint filed by Joint Secretary (Home) Sarat Chandra Marandi, the files containing the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati murder case and the RDC-level inquiry report on the SUM Hospital fire were officially sent from the Home Department to the CMO. While other files returned, these two never came back. Shockingly, they have been untraceable since June 4, 2024 — the very day of the Lok Sabha election vote counting.
Speaking to the media, Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh said a thorough probe from all angles is underway. “This is a sensitive matter. We will find out exactly when and how the files went missing and who is responsible,” he added.
Political Fireworks Erupt
The development has triggered sharp political accusations. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari directly pointed fingers at the previous BJD regime led by Naveen Patnaik.
“Both reports were sent to the then Chief Minister’s Office through the Chief Secretary. There is documentary proof of dispatch, but no proof of their return. This was not accidental — it was deliberate,” Pujari alleged.
BJP General Secretary Biranchi Tripathy went further, claiming the files were deliberately hidden because the BJP was gaining ground in the 2024 elections. He revealed that the government had written to Naveen Patnaik twice — in October and November 2025 — seeking the files, but received no response.
On the other hand, senior BJD leader and former MP Munna Khan hit back, questioning why the BJP government waited nearly two years to act. “Are the files really missing, or has the ruling party made them disappear?” he asked. Senior Congress leader Ramachandra Kadam also raised serious questions about security lapses inside the highly guarded third-floor CMO.
What Were the Missing Reports?
- The Justice A.S. Naidu Commission was constituted to probe the gruesome murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples at Jalespata in Kandhamal in August 2008, an incident that triggered widespread communal violence in the state.
- The RDC-level inquiry looked into the tragic SUM Hospital fire of 2016 that claimed several lives and exposed serious lapses in hospital safety and regulatory oversight.
The disappearance of these reports has now become a major embarrassment and a fresh political weapon in the hands of the ruling BJP against the opposition BJD.
As the SIT begins questioning officials and tracing movement records inside the Lok Seva Bhawan, all eyes are on whether the files will eventually surface — and whose fingerprints, if any, will be found on their mysterious disappearance.
The Capital Police have appealed to anyone with information to come forward. The case is being closely watched across Odisha as it threatens to reopen old wounds and expose possible high-level interference in two of the state’s most sensitive cases.
Stay tuned — this story is developing.
