Missing Inquiry Reports Spark Political Row in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The controversy over the alleged disappearance of two inquiry commission reports from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has intensified political debate in Odisha. The issue has particularly focused on the inquiry report related to the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and the SUM Hospital fire incident. Former inquiry commission chairman Justice A.S. Naidu stated that his commission had submitted a detailed report after years of investigation into the circumstances following Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati’s murder and the subsequent violence. According to him, the report documented the sequence of events, the damage caused during the unrest, and included references to claims linked to Maoist involvement. The BJP has alleged that the report was deliberately withheld and questioned why the inquiry findings were never made public despite repeated demands. The party claimed that all inquiry files had been sent to the then Chief Minister’s office, but two reports allegedly never returned to the Home Department. Justice Naidu said the report, submitted in September 2016, contained nearly 2,000 pages across two volumes. He claimed the government had tried to locate the documents but could not recover them. The BJD has rejected the allegations and questioned why the current government remained silent for such a long period if the files were actually missing. The party has argued that there is no evidence to show when the files disappeared and raised concerns over possible political motives behind the issue. Congress also questioned how sensitive files could go missing from a highly secured administrative environment and asked why action was delayed. Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari claimed repeated communication had been made seeking the return of the files and said an FIR was eventually filed after efforts to trace them failed. Police have now begun an investigation into the missing commission reports. Officers visited the Home Department at Lok Seva Bhavan and collected information from officials as part of the inquiry.