Former IAS Officer V.K. Pandian Summoned by Odisha Police Over Missing CMO Inquiry Reports on Swami Laxmanananda Killing and SUM Hospital Fire
Odisha Police have summoned former IAS officer V.K. Pandian for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of two sensitive inquiry reports from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). The missing documents relate to two of Odisha’s most significant incidents in recent decades – the 2008 killing of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and the 2016 SUM Hospital fire tragedy in Bhubaneswar.
The development marks a significant step in the investigation, as police broaden their probe into how two important government inquiry reports allegedly went missing while numerous other official records were successfully transferred during the change of government in 2024.
Officials have clarified that Pandian has been called to assist with the investigation, and no allegations of wrongdoing have been made against him at this stage. The questioning forms part of a wider effort by investigators to reconstruct the movement of official files handled by the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous administration.
Police Ask V.K. Pandian to Appear on July 25
According to officials, the Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar has issued a formal notice directing V.K. Pandian to appear before the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Zone-I, at 11 a.m. on July 25.
The summons comes as investigators seek to understand the chain of custody of two inquiry commission reports that were reportedly unavailable when government records were transferred following the change in political leadership in Odisha.
Police are examining how these documents disappeared while most other files from the Chief Minister’s Office were returned to the Home Department after the Assembly election results.
Investigation Centres Around Two Missing Inquiry Reports
The investigation focuses on two important reports prepared after separate high-profile incidents that had drawn statewide and national attention.
The first missing document is the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report, which examined the circumstances surrounding the 2008 assassination of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and his associates.
The second is the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) inquiry report into the 2016 fire at SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar, one of Odisha’s deadliest hospital disasters.
Both reports were reportedly maintained as part of official government records but were later found to be missing from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Their disappearance prompted the Odisha Home Department to initiate legal proceedings and seek a criminal investigation into the matter.
FIR Registered After Reports Could Not Be Traced
The controversy gained momentum after repeated efforts to locate the two inquiry reports reportedly failed.
Last month, the Odisha Home Department lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified persons after concluding that the documents could not be traced in official records.
The complaint was filed by Home Department Joint Secretary Sarat Chandra Marandi, who informed police that while several official files had been returned from the Chief Minister’s Office to the Home Department, these two inquiry reports were missing.
According to the complaint, official files and records were transferred on June 4, 2024, after it became evident that there would be a change in government following the Odisha Assembly election results.
Officials noted that the disappearance of only these two reports, while numerous other government files were successfully returned, raised concerns requiring a detailed investigation.
The FIR states that there is reasonable suspicion that the reports may have been intentionally removed, retained, concealed, destroyed or otherwise unlawfully dealt with.
Case Registered Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
The FIR invokes several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) dealing with offences involving public records and public servants.
These include allegations relating to:
Criminal breach of trust by a public servant
Destruction or concealment of official documents
Criminal conspiracy
At present, the case has been registered against unidentified persons, and investigators are attempting to determine who had custody of the files and how they disappeared from official records.
V.K. Pandian’s Administrative Role Under Examination
As part of the investigation, police are examining the administrative handling of files within the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous government.
V.K. Pandian served as Private Secretary to former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for several years and was considered one of the most influential bureaucrats in the state administration before opting for voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service.
Because of his senior role within the Chief Minister’s Office, investigators have called him to provide information regarding administrative procedures and the movement of official records.
Officials have emphasised that his appearance before police is part of the ongoing investigation and should not be interpreted as an accusation of criminal conduct.
Other Senior Bureaucrats Also Questioned
The investigation is not limited to V.K. Pandian alone.
Police have already questioned former IT Secretary Manoj Mishra, who appeared before investigators after receiving a notice and recorded his statement regarding the missing records.
Another senior IAS officer, Rajesh Verma, was also asked to appear before investigators. According to officials, he reportedly did not appear before the police within the stipulated time.
Investigators are expected to question additional present and former government officials as they continue reconstructing the movement of files handled by the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous administration.
The objective is to establish where the reports were last seen, who handled them and at what stage they disappeared from official custody.
Background of the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Case
One of the missing reports concerns the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a prominent Hindu religious leader.
On August 23, 2008, the Swami and four of his disciples were shot dead by Maoists at his ashram in Kandhamal district.
The killings triggered one of the most serious episodes of communal violence witnessed in Odisha. The unrest that followed claimed at least 38 lives and resulted in widespread destruction of homes, religious institutions and public property across several parts of the state.
The Justice A.S. Naidu Commission was constituted to examine various aspects of the incident, making its report an important official document.
Background of the SUM Hospital Fire
The second missing report relates to the tragic SUM Hospital fire that occurred in October 2016 in Bhubaneswar.
The fire led to heavy smoke spreading rapidly through critical sections of the hospital, including the intensive care unit, dialysis ward and emergency department.
The disaster claimed 24 lives and prompted widespread concern over hospital fire safety standards across the country.
Following the tragedy, an inquiry was conducted by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner, and the resulting report became another significant government document that is now reportedly missing.
Who Is V.K. Pandian?
V.K. Pandian belongs to the 2000 batch of the Indian Administrative Service and served in the Odisha cadre.
Originally allotted to the Punjab cadre, he was later transferred to Odisha on spouse grounds.
Over the years, Pandian emerged as one of the most influential bureaucrats in the state while serving as Private Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. During his tenure, he played an important role in several governance initiatives, including the widely discussed 5T programme, which focused on improving public service delivery, schools, hospitals and heritage conservation.
Known for conducting extensive field inspections and closely monitoring government projects, Pandian became one of the most recognisable faces of Odisha’s bureaucracy.
In 2023, he opted for voluntary retirement from the IAS and subsequently joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections.
Following the BJD’s defeat in the 2024 elections, he stepped away from active politics. Despite that, he continues to remain one of Odisha’s most prominent and closely watched former civil servants.
Investigation Continues
The Odisha Police investigation remains focused on establishing how two highly sensitive inquiry reports disappeared while other official records were successfully transferred to the Home Department during the change of government.
Investigators are examining official file movement, record management procedures and the administrative handling of documents within the Chief Minister’s Office. As the probe progresses, more officials may be questioned to reconstruct the complete sequence of events surrounding the disappearance of the inquiry reports.
The findings of the investigation are expected to determine whether the reports were misplaced through administrative lapses or whether there was any deliberate attempt to remove or conceal official government records.
