In a significant development, the Commissionerate Police has issued a notice to V. Karthikeya Pandian, a former IAS officer and close aide of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik. The notice directs Pandian to appear before the investigating officer in connection with the alleged disappearance of two inquiry commission reports from the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous BJD government.
The Capital Police Station Case (460/26) was registered on June 10, 2026, following a complaint by the Home Department regarding the missing reports. These reports include the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and others at Jaleshpeta Ashram, as well as the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) inquiry report on the tragic fire at SUM Hospital and Medical College in Bhubaneswar.
The notice states that Pandian is required to appear before the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Zone‑I, Bhubaneswar, at 11 a.m. on July 25 for examination. He is instructed to fully cooperate with the investigation and bring any relevant documents or materials in his possession.
Earlier, the Commissionerate Police had also served notices on two other former senior officials, retired IAS officer Rajesh Verma and former Odisha IT Secretary Manoj Kumar Mishra, in connection with the case. Mishra has already appeared before the investigating officer, while Verma did not report to the Capital Police Station as directed.
