A CASE was registered on Wednesday over “disappearance of two important inquiry commission reports” pertaining to the killing of Hindu seer Laxmananda Saraswati in 2008 and the 2016 .
The FIR was lodged at the Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar against unknown person based on a complaint lodged by a joint secretary of the home department. Dates mentioned in the complaint indicates “serious lapses” during the previous BJD government.
The development came two days after Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, in an interview to a local TV channel, stated that key inquiry commission reports went missing from the Chief Minister’s Office when Naveen Patnaik was in office.
According to the complaint, the A S Naidu Commission Report with regard to the killing of Laxmananda Saraswati and his disciples by unknown miscreants at the former’s Ashram at Jaleshpeta in Kandhamal district was sent to the CMO in September 2016. The incident triggered a communal clash in Kandhamal district in which at least 39 people were killed. Similarly, the inquiry report conducted by Revenue Divisional Commissioner into SUM hospital fire was sent to the CMO in May 2018.
“Recently, the Home Department learnt that the aforesaid two Judicial Commission Reports are not available in the CMO and remain untraceable despite searches undertaken by the concerned authorities,” read the complaint lodged by Sarat Chandra Marandi, joint secretary, home department.
The complainant stated that while several other reports and files, which had been forwarded by the home department to the CMO, were returned on June 4, 2024 – the date on which results for the Assembly elections were announced – these two inquiry reports were not returned.
“The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of these two reports, particularly when other files forwarding during the same period were returned, create a reasonable suspicion that the reports may have been intentionally removed, retained, concealed, destroyed or otherwise unlawfully dealt with,” read the complaint.
Citing it as a matter of serious public concern requiring through investigation, the complainant said the facts and circumstances disclose a reasonable ground for suspecting commission of cognizable offences relating to unauthorized removal, criminal breach of trust, concealment and/or destruction of official records.
The case has been registered under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including theft in sensitive or public locations, criminal breach of trust, destruction, hiding or altering of any official documents and criminal conspiracy. Police said they have initiated a probe into the matter.
