The CBI has summoned IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in connection with a Rs 10 lakh bribe transaction in Bhubaneswar. The summons, issued on December 10, instructed Sethi, Principal Secretary of the Department of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, as well as the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of the Disabled, to appear at the CBI office in Nuapalli, Bhubaneswar on December 11 at 10 am.
The CBI’s letter explained that the agency had filed a case against Chanchal Kumar Mukherjee, Group General Manager of Bridge and Roof Construction Co. (India) Ltd., and others in New Delhi. The CBI believes Sethi may have important information related to the case and requested his presence for questioning.
Sethi has yet to comment on the summons. Meanwhile, the CBI has asked Sethi to provide a list of his drivers, including names, addresses, and contact details. The agency stressed the importance of this information.
CBI DCP Ajit Kumar Pandey has informed the state government via email, requesting Chief Secretary Bishnupada Sethi to issue necessary instructions. The CBI has notified Sethi’s drivers that they will be summoned to the Bhubaneswar office for investigation.
In the case, the CBI has arrested Chanchal Kumar Mukherjee, Satya Maharana, and Devadatta Mohapatra, a developer and contractor, respectively. The agency has remanded them for a second round of questioning.