Missing Odisha CMO Files Case Deepens: Retired IAS Officer Upendra Nath Behera Skips Police Summons, Becomes Third Ex-Bureaucrat to Miss Questioning
The Odisha missing CMO files case has taken another significant turn as retired IAS officer Upendra Nath Behera skips police questioning. Know his profile, the missing inquiry reports, the investigation, and why the case has become a major administrative controversy.
The investigation into the alleged disappearance of two highly sensitive inquiry reports from the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has entered another crucial phase. Retired IAS officer Upendra Nath Behera, a senior bureaucrat from the 1983 Odisha cadre, did not appear before the Capital Police despite being summoned for questioning, making him the third former top official to skip police interrogation in the matter.
The development has intensified public attention on one of Odisha’s most closely watched administrative investigations. Police officials confirmed that Behera neither appeared before investigators nor communicated any explanation for his absence. His non-appearance has added another layer of complexity to a probe that is already examining how confidential government records allegedly disappeared from one of the state’s most secure administrative offices.
Authorities continue to investigate whether the missing files were misplaced due to procedural lapses or deliberately removed. At this stage, investigators are focusing on individuals who had access to official records during the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government.
Third Former Senior Bureaucrat to Skip Police Questioning
According to officials associated with the investigation, Upendra Nath Behera had been directed to appear before the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Zone-I, as part of the ongoing inquiry into the missing CMO files.
His absence follows a similar pattern seen over the past few days involving other senior retired bureaucrats.
Former Odisha Chief Secretary Rajesh Verma did not appear before police after being summoned on July 22. A few days later, former IAS officer V.K. Pandian also skipped his scheduled questioning on July 25. Pandian informed investigators that he is currently outside India and expressed his willingness to cooperate virtually until his return.
With Behera also failing to attend, three former senior officers connected to the investigation have now missed police summons, making the case increasingly significant from both administrative and political perspectives.
Police sources stated that every officer summoned was instructed not only to appear for questioning but also to bring any official documents, electronic records, digital devices, or files that could assist investigators in tracing the missing reports.
A senior officer from the Capital Police Station confirmed that Behera neither attended the scheduled questioning nor conveyed any reason for remaining absent.
How the Missing CMO Files Investigation Began
The present investigation stems from a First Information Report (FIR) registered on June 10 after a formal complaint was submitted by Sarat Chandra Marandi, Joint Secretary in Odisha’s Home Department.
According to the complaint, two important inquiry reports that had been maintained in the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous BJD government could no longer be located. The disappearance of these official records immediately raised serious concerns regarding record management, administrative accountability, and the handling of confidential government documents.
Given the sensitive nature of both reports, the Capital Police launched a detailed investigation to determine exactly when the files disappeared, who last handled them, and whether any deliberate attempt was made to remove or conceal them.
Investigators are now examining official movement registers, administrative procedures, and digital records to establish the chain of custody of the missing documents.
Two Sensitive Inquiry Reports at the Centre of the Investigation
The missing files are not ordinary government documents. Both relate to major incidents that attracted statewide attention and carried considerable administrative significance.
One of the missing reports is the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission Inquiry Report, which examined matters related to the 2008 assassination of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati during the Kandhamal violence. The incident remains one of Odisha’s most widely discussed episodes, making the commission’s findings particularly important from both legal and administrative standpoints.
The second missing document is the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) Inquiry Report into the devastating fire at SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar in 2016. The hospital fire claimed several lives and prompted widespread public concern regarding safety standards, emergency preparedness, and institutional accountability.
Because both inquiry reports relate to landmark incidents in Odisha’s recent history, investigators consider them valuable official records whose disappearance demands a comprehensive examination.
Police Looking Beyond Paper Files
Investigators are not restricting the probe to physical documents alone. Officials are also examining the possibility that relevant information may exist in electronic formats.
The summons served to former officers specifically instructed them to produce any official documents, digital records, storage devices, emails, laptops, computers, or electronic equipment that could assist investigators.
Police are trying to determine whether copies of the inquiry reports or related correspondence remain available with officials who worked in the Chief Minister’s Office during the relevant period.
Digital forensic examination is expected to play an important role as investigators attempt to reconstruct the movement and handling of the missing records.
Officials have not ruled out issuing fresh summons if required during the course of the investigation.
Who is Upendra Nath Behera?
Upendra Nath Behera is one of Odisha’s most experienced retired IAS officers. A member of the 1983 batch of the Odisha cadre, he built a long administrative career spanning several decades and served in numerous important positions within the state government.
Born on July 23, 1957, Behera completed his Mechanical Engineering degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. He later strengthened his administrative and managerial expertise by obtaining a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from IGNOU.
Throughout his career, he occupied several senior administrative assignments across different departments of the Odisha government.
Among the major positions held by him are:
Additional Chief Secretary
Principal Secretary
Commissioner and Secretary
Special Secretary
Chief Vigilance Officer
Joint Secretary
Private Secretary
Managing Director
Chief Executive
Chairman and Managing Director
His wide-ranging administrative experience made him one of the state’s most prominent bureaucrats over several decades.
Key Role in the Chief Minister’s Office
One of the most significant assignments in Behera’s career came when he served as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister in the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office.
He held this influential position from November 28, 2015, to January 16, 2017, a period during which several important administrative decisions and government files passed through the CMO.
Because the present investigation concerns records maintained within the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous administration, investigators are questioning several former officials who occupied key positions during different periods.
Police have not publicly alleged any wrongdoing against Behera. His summons forms part of the broader investigation aimed at understanding how the inquiry reports disappeared and whether any administrative lapses occurred.
Focus on Administrative Accountability
The missing CMO files case has evolved into an important test of administrative accountability. Investigators are attempting to establish whether established government procedures for maintaining confidential records were properly followed.
Questions are also being examined regarding file movement, record preservation, access protocols, and documentation practices inside the Chief Minister’s Office.
Government inquiry reports often serve as permanent institutional records and can be referenced in future administrative or legal proceedings. Their disappearance naturally raises concerns about record security and governance standards.
Officials involved in the investigation say every possible angle is being examined before arriving at any conclusions.
Investigation Continues
The Capital Police have indicated that the inquiry remains active and that questioning of former officials will continue as investigators collect additional evidence.
Fresh summons may be issued wherever necessary, while investigators continue examining official records, electronic data, and witness statements to reconstruct the sequence of events surrounding the missing files.
With three former senior bureaucrats now having missed scheduled police questioning, the case continues to attract significant public and administrative attention. As investigators work to trace the missing inquiry reports and determine responsibility, the Odisha CMO files investigation is expected to remain one of the state’s most closely followed administrative probes in the coming weeks.
