VK Pandian Summoned in Odisha Missing Files Probe
Bhubaneswar, July 22: Former BJD leader and ex-IAS officer V. Karthikeyan Pandian has been served a police notice to appear before the Bhubaneswar ACP (Zone‑1) on July 25, 2026, in connection with missing files from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
The probe, registered under Capital Police Station Case No. 460, concerns the disappearance of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the 2008 Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati murder and subsequent Kandhamal violence.
The report, submitted in 2016, went missing during the 2024 government transition. Another inquiry report on the 2016 SUM Hospital fire tragedy is also untraceable.
The Odisha Home Department lodged an FIR on June 10, 2026, prompting police summons to several former officials.
While former IT Secretary Manoj Kumar Mishra appeared on July 18, retired IAS officer Rajesh Verma failed to attend his scheduled questioning on July 22.
The BJP‑led government has accused the previous BJD regime of suppressing or destroying sensitive documents.
With Pandian’s upcoming appearance, investigators are expected to intensify efforts to determine whether the files were deliberately removed or lost due to administrative lapses.
