Now Reading: Odisha Crime Branch records VK Pandian, 2 others over missing CMO files
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Odisha Crime Branch records VK Pandian, 2 others over missing CMO files
Odisha Crime Branch records VK Pandian, 2 others over missing CMO files
The Odisha Crime Branch on Monday, 5 October 2026 recorded statements from former bureaucrats V K Pandian, Rajesh Verma and Manoj Mishra in the investigation into two missing inquiry reports from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). Crime Branch IG Sarthak Sarangi said the three former officers accepted that the CMO had received the reports but had no knowledge of their current whereabouts.
The missing files are the Justice A S Naidu Commission report on the 2008 killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and subsequent Kandhamal violence, and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner’s inquiry into the 2016 SUM Hospital fire in Bhubaneswar. The Crime Branch has found an official receipt proving the files were received. Odishatv.in reported that the agency is conducting the probe on the basis that the file is missing and has not yet classified it as theft.
The case was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including theft, criminal breach of trust, causing disappearance of evidence, and criminal conspiracy. Odishabytes.com reported that the Crime Branch may examine old CCTV footage to trace who accessed or moved the files.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All three sources report the same core fact: the three ex-bureaucrats confirmed receipt of the reports at the CMO but claimed no knowledge of where they went. Odishatv.in emphasises that the Crime Branch has not yet called it a theft, presenting a cautious official framing, while orissapost.com and odishabytes.com highlight the shift in focus to CMO custody and the possibility of CCTV review. Orissapost.com names the two missing reports together, adding context on the SUM Hospital inquiry. The uniform reporting across outlets leaves no factual dispute, the key open point, cited only by odishabytes.com, is whether the files were stolen or misplaced, and whether CCTV evidence will resolve it.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): odishatv.in (neutral report), orissapost.com (neutral report), odishabytes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
