CBI Conducts Raid on Senior IAS Officer's Home in Odisha
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The CBI conducted a raid on senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi's residence in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, linked to a bribery case involving Bridge and Roof Co. Sethi claimed innocence and protested against the CBI's actions.
Key Takeaways
- CBI raids senior IAS officer's house.
- Bribery case involves Bridge and Roof Co.
- Sethi claims harassment from CBI.
- Work orders approved by the state government.
- Investigators seized a bribe of Rs 10 lakh.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 18 (NationPress) A team of eight officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), reportedly dispatched from Delhi, executed a raid on the residence of senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi on Tuesday. This action is linked to a prominent bribery case involving personnel from Bridge and Roof Co. (India) Limited, a Central government Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) operating under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
In statements to the media, Sethi asserted his innocence and accused CBI officers of harassing him and his family.
“I wish to make it clear that several work orders were assigned to Bridge and Roof Co. (India) Limited with the state government’s approval. The file concerning this project was in my possession for merely a few hours after I became aware of it,” Sethi explained.
“I had a meeting with Chanchal Mukherjee, the Group General Manager (GGM) of Bridge and Roof Co. (India) Limited and one of the accused, after a gap of four years. A PSU team was also present during this encounter. We have not granted any special treatment to Chanchal Mukherjee. The CBI team forcibly entered my home without the presence of any female officers,” he added further.
The senior bureaucrat also claimed that Mukherjee was apprehended for allegedly accepting bribes from two contractors associated with another PSU, denying any involvement in this affair and asserting that no case has been filed against him.
In a letter he purportedly wrote, Sethi expressed his resignation as a protest against the investigation aimed at him.
Sethi was recently assigned as the Officer of Special Duty (OSD) in the General Administration & Public Grievance department. His name emerged in the bribery investigation after the CBI summoned him for questioning.
His drivers have already been interrogated by the CBI regarding the bribery allegations.
The CBI apprehended Chanchal Mukherjee, Santosh Moharana, a private company director, and intermediary Devadutta Mohapatra near a five-star hotel in Jaydev Vihar, Bhubaneswar on December 7.
During the raid, investigators seized a bribe sum of Rs 10 lakh from a luxury vehicle at the scene. Furthermore, an alleged official letter indicated that accused Mukherjee and another senior PSU officer, B.K. Singh, reportedly met with Sethi in his office at Lok Seva Bhawan on December 5—just two days prior to the CBI catching Mukherjee in the act of accepting the bribe on December 7.
