Odisha CMO Files Missing: SIT Probe Sparks Political Storm
Bhubaneswar: A political storm has erupted in Odisha after two sensitive reports — the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission findings on the 2008 murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and the RDC‑level inquiry into the 2016 SUM Hospital fire — were found missing from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
Police have registered an FIR (Case No. 460/2026) under charges of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and destruction of evidence.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to trace the files, which reportedly disappeared on June 4, 2024, the day of Lok Sabha vote counting.
The BJP has accused the previous BJD government of deliberately suppressing the reports, citing documentary proof of dispatch but no return.
Minister Suresh Pujari alleged that the disappearance was intentional.
In response, BJD leader Munna Khan questioned why the BJP waited nearly two years to act, hinting at possible complicity.
Congress leader Ramachandra Kadam raised concerns over security lapses inside the highly guarded CMO, calling the incident a serious breach of governance.
The missing reports are of immense significance: the Laxmanananda case triggered communal violence in Kandhamal, while the SUM Hospital fire exposed grave lapses in healthcare safety.
The SIT is now questioning officials and tracing file movements inside Lok Seva Bhawan.
The controversy has reopened old wounds and become a major embarrassment for Odisha’s political establishment, fueling fresh partisan battles.
