The high-stakes investigation into the mysterious disappearance of sensitive judicial commission reports from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has taken a fresh turn.
Police have issued a formal notice to former BJD leader and ex-IAS officer V. Karthikeyan Pandian, directing him to appear before the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Zone-1, Bhubaneswar, on July 25, 2026, at 11:00 AM.
The notice is linked to Capital Police Station Case No. 460, which revolves around the alleged vanishing of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the 2008 murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and the Kandhamal violence. The voluminous report, submitted to the government in 2016, was sent to the CMO but could not be traced during the 2024 government transition.
An FIR in the matter was registered on June 10, 2026, by the Odisha Home Department. It alleges that the Naidu Commission report, along with another key inquiry report on the 2016 SUM Hospital fire tragedy, went missing from the CMO.
While numerous other files were returned to the Home Department around the time of the election results in June 2024, these two sensitive documents remain untraceable, raising serious questions about record-keeping and accountability.
Earlier Summons and Mixed Response
As part of the ongoing probe, former IT Secretary Manoj Kumar Mishra and retired IAS officer Rajesh Verma (current Chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management) were directed to appear personally before the Investigating Officer at Capital Police Station, Bhubaneswar, on July 22, 2026, at 11:00 AM.
Manoj Kumar Mishra complied and appeared before the police on July 18, reportedly presenting his side of the matter. However, Rajesh Verma did not appear within the stipulated time today, prompting speculation about the police’s next course of action.
Political and Administrative Fallout
The case has reignited political debate in Odisha. The BJP-led government has maintained that the previous BJD regime bears responsibility for the disappearance of these crucial documents, which could have shed light on the circumstances surrounding one of the state’s most sensitive episodes — the 2008 killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati that triggered widespread violence in Kandhamal.
The probe, now entering its second month since the FIR, appears to be widening its net to former key officials who served during the relevant period. Police are examining how and when the files went missing and whether there was any deliberate attempt to suppress or destroy them.
With Pandian’s appearance scheduled for July 25 and questions hanging over Verma’s non-appearance, the investigation is expected to gather further momentum in the coming days. All eyes are now on whether the probe will uncover new leads or face legal and procedural hurdles.
