Bhubaneswar, July 28 — Following Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s directions, the Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Tuesday launched an investigation into the alleged disappearance of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the 2008 killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others at the Jaleshpata Ashram in Kandhamal district from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) during the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government.
“In view of the larger public interest and to ensure an impartial and thorough investigation into Capital Police Station (UPD Bhubaneswar) Case No. 460 of 2026, the CID Crime Branch, Cuttack, has re-registered the case as CID CB P.S. Case No. 09 of 2026, dated July 28, 2026, under Sections 305, 316(2), 238(c), 241 and 61(2)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, as per the order of the Director General of Police, CID, Crime Branch, Odisha,” informed the Crime Branch on Tuesday.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Crime Branch, Asutosh Mishra will take charge of the investigation of this case while Crime Branch SP Anirudha Routray will supervise and monitor the progress and status of investigation.
It is worth noting that on Monday, the Chief Minister directed the Crime Branch to take over the investigation of the case of the missing inquiry commission report.
Based on a written complaint lodged by a senior official of the Home Department, Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar registered a case (460/26) on June 10 and launched a probe into the disappearance of the Naidu Commission report as well as the RDC inquiry report on the SUM Hospital fire incident that occurred in 2016.
The Commissionerate Police has also summoned four former bureaucrats, including V.K. Pandian, a close aide of BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, to join the investigation into the missing reports. The officials were asked to appear before the investigating officer on separate dates.
However, out of them, only former IT Secretary Manoj Kumar Mishra has so far appeared and recorded his statement, while the remaining officials are yet to depose before the police.