Odisha: CBI Links senior IAS Officer to Rs 10 lakh bribery case
Agency alleges bureaucrat’s daughter received high-end gifts including MacBook, luxury watch
By Nalini Sahu
Bhubaneswar, July 30 : A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) affidavit submitted before the High Court of Orissa has implicated senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in an Rs 10 lakh bribery case connected to a major public sector enterprise.
The affidavit alleges that Sethi, while serving as Secretary of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SCST) Department, sought to favour Bridge and Roof Co. Ltd., a Central PSU, in securing a Rs 37 crore work contract. The Group General Manager of the PSU, Chanchal Mukherjee, already under arrest, is also named as a key accused.
The High Court of Orissa on Monday rejected Sethi’s anticipatory bail plea, expressing concern that he could potentially interfere with the ongoing probe.
The CBI claims that Sethi maintained close contact with Mukherjee, and that the bureaucrat’s daughter received expensive gifts — including a MacBook and a luxury wristwatch — from another accused, Debadatta Mahapatra, a known associate of Mukherjee.
One of the pivotal pieces of evidence is a recorded phone conversation, allegedly between Sethi and Mahapatra, in which Sethi is heard instructing the delivery of the bribe. The audio clip, retrieved from Mukherjee’s mobile phone, has been authenticated by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) as bearing Sethi’s voice.
Additionally, investigators recovered ₹10 lakh in cash during a trap operation in Bhubaneswar — believed to be the bribe amount — shortly after a meeting between Sethi and Mukherjee.
In light of the evidence and the bureaucrat’s influential position, the court ruled against granting him bail.
Earlier in February, the CBI had carried out raids at Sethi’s government accommodation and ancestral home. So far, three individuals — Chanchal Mukherjee, Debadatta Mahapatra (owner of Aditya Dev Infratech Pvt Ltd), and Santosh Maharana (Director of Penta A Studio Pvt Ltd) — have been arrested for their alleged roles in the bribery network.
