Missing Naidu Commission Report Adds New Twist to Swami Laxmanananda Murder Case
Petitioner seeks CBI probe in the Orissa High Court, citing concerns over the disappearance of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission inquiry report.
Bhubaneswar: A fresh legal development has emerged in the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati murder case, with a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe being brought before the Orissa High Court amid concerns over the reported disappearance of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission inquiry report.
An interim application has been filed on behalf of the petitioner, urging the court to take note of the alleged missing commission report and intervene in the matter. The application was submitted by advocate Debashish Hota, who has also sought a CBI investigation into the 2008 murder of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader and Hindu seer.
The petition argues that the disappearance of the Justice Naidu Commission report raises serious concerns and warrants a thorough investigation. According to the plea, the missing report has a direct bearing on the long-standing demand for an independent probe into the circumstances surrounding the killing of Swami Laxmanananda in Kandhamal district in August 2008.
The High Court is expected to consider the submissions made in the interim application during the course of the hearing.
The latest development has once again brought attention to the investigation into the high-profile murder case, which has remained a subject of political and legal debate for nearly two decades.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Police have intensified their probe into the alleged disappearance of two important inquiry reports from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Investigators recently conducted another round of searches at the General Administration Department in Lok Seva Bhavan as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Officials examined records in the offices of the Chief Secretary and the General Administration Department following the registration of an FIR at the Capital Police Station regarding the missing documents.
The issue triggered a political controversy earlier this month after Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari alleged that the reports may have been deliberately stolen rather than misplaced. He had said that all individuals involved in handling the documents would be questioned and that the investigation would proceed based on available evidence.