MacBook to luxury watches! CBI exposes senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in bribery case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has exposed senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in connection with the Rs 10 lakh bribery case. The Orissa High Court on Monday rejected his anticipatory bail plea, strengthening the seriousness of the charges against him.

In an affidavit submitted to the High Court, Justice V Narsingh’s bench was presented with detailed findings by the CBI, revealing Sethi’s involvement in the bribery deal related to a government project.

As per the affidavit, Bishnupada Sethi was known to Chanchal Mukherjee, the Group General Manager of the firm Bridge and Roof Co. Ltd, one of the accused in the case. Sethi served as the Secretary of the SCST Department, during which Bridge and Roof Co. Ltd. was executing a Rs 37-crore project under the department.

Further, it was revealed that Debadatta Mahapatra, another accused, had gifted Sethi's daughter expensive items like a MacBook (luxury) and a luxury watch. The CBI had seized Rs 10 lakh in cash, which was allegedly offered as a bribe by Mahapatra.

Crucially, the CBI also presented telephonic evidence, where Sethi reportedly instructed Mahapatra to hand over the bribe money. The conversation was extracted from Chanchal Mukherjee’s mobile phone. A subsequent CFSL (Central Forensic Science Laboratory) report confirmed that the voice in the conversation matched that of Bishnupada Sethi.

The case has now taken a serious turn with the court refusing bail, and more developments are expected as the investigation continues. 

Just before being trapped by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Chanchal Mukherjee reportedly met Sethi. Citing concerns over possible influence on the investigation, as Sethi is a high-ranking official, the High Court has rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Sethi had applied for anticipatory bail to avoid arrest in the Rs 10 lakh bribery case.

In February, an 8-member CBI team had raided the official quarters of Sethi in connection with alleged links to Bridge and Roof Company Limited. Another team simultaneously raided his ancestral home.

Must Read: Odisha IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi’s anticipatory bail plea rejected

CBI had carried out a trap operation near a hotel in Bhubaneswar while a bribery deal was reportedly underway. During the operation, Rs 10 lakh in cash was seized from a vehicle.

Following the investigation, the CBI arrested Chanchal Mukherjee, General Manager of Bridge and Roof Company, along with Debadatta Mahapatra, owner of Aditya Dev Infratech Private Limited, and Santosh Maharana, Director of Penta A Studio Private Limited, a construction firm.