Abuse of Power
IAS Threatens When CBI Raids at Officer’s Residence
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a raid at the residence of senior Odisha-cadre IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in connection with the Bridge & Roof Company Limited bribery case. The operation, carried out by a CBI team from New Delhi, took place at Sethi’s government quarters in Bhubaneswar.
Tensions escalated as the IAS officer had a heated confrontation with the CBI officials, accusing them of harassment. The raid was part of an ongoing probe into a Rs 10 lakh bribery case. However, Sethi strongly denied any wrongdoing, stating, “No FIR has been filed against me. I have no connection with Chanchal Mukherjee or Bridge & Roof Company (India) Limited. Mukherjee had unrestricted access to the state secretariat due to his prior work in various government departments.”
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The situation took a dramatic turn when Sethi accused the CBI of tarnishing his reputation and allegedly threatened to take his own life. He further claimed that the investigating officers mistreated him and his family during the search, saying, “The CBI officials harassed me and my family. Their behavior was extremely inappropriate.”
Sources revealed that the CBI had earlier issued a notice to Sethi regarding the case, but he reportedly failed to appear for questioning. The case revolves around Chanchal Mukherjee, a senior general manager at Bridge & Roof Company (India) Limited, who was arrested on December 7 near a hotel in Bhubaneswar. He was allegedly caught accepting a bribe from Santosh Moharana, director of Penta A Studio Private Limited, and middleman Debadatta Mahapatra.
The investigation remains ongoing as the CBI continues its efforts to unravel the bribery scandal.