Odisha Home Dept files FIR over missing inquiry reports from BJD era
Synopsis
Two high-stakes inquiry reports — one on the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal and another on the deadly SUM Hospital fire — have gone missing from Odisha's official records. The Home Department's FIR alleges the documents may have been deliberately destroyed or concealed, and the timing — other files were returned on election-counting day in June 2024 — has made this a criminal matter, not just a political one.
Key Takeaways
The Odisha Home Department filed Case No.
244/26 at Capital Police Station, Bhubaneswar over two missing inquiry reports.
The missing documents are the Justice A.S.
Naidu Commission report on the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati at Jalespeta Ashram, Kandhamal , and the RDC inquiry report on the SUM Hospital fire .
Both reports were sent to the Chief Minister's Office during the previous BJD government and were not returned when other files were handed back on 4 June 2024 .
The FIR alleges possible criminal breach of trust, concealment, or destruction of official records.
State Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan had earlier raised the issue, sparking a BJP-BJD political confrontation.
The Odisha Home Department has lodged a formal police complaint over the disappearance of two significant inquiry commission reports — including one on the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati — that were found untraceable after the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government's tenure ended. The case, registered as Case No. 244/26, was filed on Wednesday at the Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar.
The Missing Reports
According to the complaint filed by Joint Secretary to the Government (Home Department) Sarat Chandra Marandi, the two untraceable documents are the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and others at Jalespeta Ashram in Kandhamal district, and the RDC inquiry report on the fatal fire at SUM Hospital and Medical College in Bhubaneswar. Both are matters of significant public interest — the Kandhamal killing sparked widespread communal unrest, while the SUM Hospital fire resulted in multiple deaths.
How the Reports Went Missing
The Home Department stated that both reports had been received from their respective inquiry commissions and were subsequently forwarded to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) via the Chief Secretary's office for necessary action during the BJD administration. However, a recent review found neither report in the CMO, and searches by concerned authorities failed to locate them.
Notably, several other files and reports sent to the CMO during the same period were returned to the Home Department on 4 June 2024 — the day vote-counting for the Odisha Assembly elections was underway and a change of government appeared imminent. The selective non-return of these two reports has raised suspicion.
What the FIR Alleges
'The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of these two reports, particularly when other files forwarded during the same period were returned, create a reasonable suspicion that the reports may have been intentionally removed, retained, concealed, destroyed or otherwise unlawfully dealt with,' the FIR states. The complaint invokes cognisable offences relating to unauthorised removal, criminal breach of trust, concealment, and destruction of official records.
Political Fallout
The issue had already entered the political arena after State Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan raised it publicly, triggering a sharp exchange between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition BJD. The FIR now escalates the dispute from a political war of words to a criminal investigation, with the complainant requesting police to identify persons responsible and act in accordance with the law.
What Happens Next
Police are expected to initiate a formal investigation to trace the chain of custody of both reports and determine whether any individual or group deliberately withheld or destroyed official government records. The outcome could have significant legal and political consequences for those who handled these documents during the final months of the BJD government.
Point of View
And the SUM Hospital fire inquiry involves institutional accountability for mass civilian deaths. That neither was returned while routine files were, stretches the bounds of coincidence. The BJP government's decision to pursue a criminal FIR rather than an internal inquiry signals intent to make this a liability for the BJD ahead of future electoral cycles — but it also raises the question of why it took until 2026 to act on documents that went missing in mid-2024.
NationPress
28 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two missing inquiry reports at the centre of the Odisha FIR?
The two missing reports are the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and others at Jalespeta Ashram in Kandhamal district, and the RDC inquiry report on the fire at SUM Hospital and Medical College in Bhubaneswar. Both were forwarded to the Chief Minister's Office during the previous BJD government and have since been untraceable.
Why does the timing of the disappearance matter?
Several other files sent to the CMO in the same period were returned to the Home Department on 4 June 2024 — the day Odisha Assembly election votes were being counted and a change of government was imminent. The fact that only these two reports were not returned has led investigators to suspect deliberate concealment or destruction.
What offences does the Odisha Home Department FIR allege?
The FIR alleges cognisable offences including unauthorised removal, criminal breach of trust, concealment, and destruction of official government records. It requests police to identify those responsible and take action under the law.
Who filed the complaint and where?
The complaint was filed by Joint Secretary to the Government (Home Department) Sarat Chandra Marandi. The case was registered as Case No. 244/26 at the Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, 10 June.
What is the political significance of this FIR?
State Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan had already raised the missing reports issue publicly, triggering a BJP-BJD confrontation. The FIR escalates the dispute into a criminal investigation, with potential legal consequences for individuals who handled these documents during the final months of the BJD administration.
