TV
Senior civil servant IAS Bishnupada Sethi has been directed to appear at the Bhubaneswar office of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by noon today. The summons is linked to an ongoing investigation involving the Bridge and Roof (B&R) Company.
IAS Sethi is facing scrutiny following CBI’s instructions, which relate to an alleged bribery case involving Rs 10 lakh. Thus far, Sethi has not complied with the requirement to present himself at the CBI office.
In a turn of events, the Odisha state government has relieved him of his duties yesterday. He has now been reassigned as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the General Administration and Public Grievance Redressal Department.
Also Read: IAS Bishnupada Sethi transferred by Odisha govt amid CBI summon
The post of Officer on Special Duty, General Administration & Public Grievance Department has been declared equivalent in status and responsibility to the post of Principal Secretary provided in the IAS Cadre of the State.
Prior to his most recent role, Sethi, an IAS officer of the 1995 batch, was Principal Secretary to several key departments, including Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, with an additional charge of Principal Secretary for the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department, and the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department.
Meanwhile, the CBI has summoned Sethi to appear in connection with the investigation into the Rs 10 lakh bribery case. CBI also summoned all the drivers associated with the vehicles of Sethi as part of an investigation into the alleged bribery.
This move is linked to the ongoing inquiry against Chanchal Mukherjee, the chief of ‘Bridge and Roof’ Company in Odisha. Chanchal along with contractors Santosh Maharana and Debadatta Mahapatra were arrested from a hotel in Bhubaneswar by the CBI.
