The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the home department of Odisha issued two letters to former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, seeking clarification on the whereabouts of two missing inquiry commission reports. The documents in question are the Naidu judicial commission report on the 2008 assassination of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and a revenue divisional commissioner-level inquiry report into the 2016 SUM hospital fire.
Investigation Underway
A special investigation team, comprising an assistant commissioner of police and two inspectors, has commenced its probe by examining records at the home department. The SIT is expected to question current and former employees of the home department and the Chief Minister's Office. Sources indicate that the team may also record the statement of Naveen Patnaik.
Timeline of Events
The home department lodged a first information report on Wednesday, stating that it recently discovered the CMO had failed to return the files when the BJP government assumed office in June 2024. BJP general secretary Biranchi Tripathy disclosed that the department first wrote to Naveen on October 23, 2025, inquiring if the files were still in his possession. When Naveen did not respond, a reminder was sent on November 4. Finally, on November 15, his private secretary replied, stating that Naveen had asked him to search for the documents.
Political Reactions
The BJP alleged that Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who had campaigned against religious conversion, was killed due to a conspiracy hatched by the Biju Janata Dal government, and claimed the reports were deliberately made to vanish. Revenue minister Suresh Pujari said records prove the files were sent to Naveen but never returned. “After the BJP formed the government in June 2024, officials attempted to examine the Naidu commission report, but it was nowhere to be found. During subsequent scrutiny of other records, the SUM hospital fire inquiry report was also discovered missing. Despite months of searches and multiple letters to Naveen, the documents never surfaced,” Pujari said.
Dismissing the allegations as politically motivated, former Rajya Sabha MP and BJD functionary Muzibulla Khan said, “Why was the government silent for two years? This is a conspiracy to defame and harass Naveen babu. It is the BJP and the government that have made the reports vanish to malign the BJD.”
Police Investigation
Police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh stated that the investigation is being pursued from all angles. “We will find out how the files went missing and those responsible,” Singh said. Police have sought detailed information from the home department on officer access and custodial responsibility for such sensitive records. “We will scrutinize protocols governing file movement, determine who last handled the documents, verify where they were supposed to be stored, and assess whether safety measures were followed. We will also examine whether the storage area had CCTV coverage, if footage is retrievable, and whether registers were properly maintained to record the movement of such sensitive files,” another police officer added.
