Bhubaneswar: Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday hit out at the previous government led- by BJD after an FIR was filed over two missing inquiry commission reports from the previous regime’s Chief Minister’s Office.
Pujari said the issue surfaced during a review of inquiry commission reports after the current government took charge. Two key documents were found missing from records: the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the 2008 killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and disciples at Jaleshpeta Ashram, and the RDC inquiry report on the 2016 SUM Hospital fire tragedy.
Officials were asked to trace the files but found no record of their return from the CMO to the Home Department, Pujari told reporters. “These files were neither returned to the Home Department nor handed over to the new government, which is normal during a regime change,” he said.
Pujari added that the Home Secretary wrote multiple times to the then Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition seeking the reports. The former CM had assured the files would be returned once traced, he said.
“After a long wait, the government felt there is little chance of the return of the files. These files were not misplaced accidentally but deliberately concealed or misplaced. These files might have put the then government in the dock,” Pujari alleged.
With no other option, a Home Department official lodged a complaint at Capital Police Station, he said. The Joint Secretary to Government, Home Department, Sarat Chandra Marandi filed the complaint after the reports were found untraceable. Based on it, Capital Police Station registered Case No. 460/26 on Wednesday over the disappearance of both reports.
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