The Orissa High Court on Tuesday extended until March 10 its interim order protecting senior IAS officer Mr. Bishnupada Sethi, a 1995-batch IAS officer, from coercive action by the CBI in connection with his alleged links to a senior officer of a Central PSU arrested in a bribery case last year.
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CBI officers had arrested the Group General Manager of the PSU on December 8, 2024, for allegedly accepting a Rs. 10 lakh bribe from a real estate company in exchange for work orders. He was caught red-handed while receiving the bribe money from the company’s owner in Bhubaneswar.
During the PSU official’s interrogation, Mr. Sethi’s name surfaced, prompting a CBI team to conduct searches at his official residence in Bhubaneswar on February 18.
On February 24, Mr. Sethi, along with his wife and daughter, filed a petition in the High Court, alleging mental harassment by CBI officers and seeking judicial intervention. The petition was heard the following day, and when the CBI’s counsel requested more time to file a response, Justice S.K. Panigrahi directed that the matter be listed for March 4. In his February 25 order, Justice Panigrahi also granted interim protection from coercive action until the next hearing.
When the case was taken up on Tuesday, the CBI submitted its reply affidavit. Justice Panigrahi then posted the matter for March 18, allowing the petitioners time to file their rejoinder, while also extending interim protection for Mr. Sethi until March 10.
In his petition, Mr. Sethi denied any links with Bridge and Roof Co. Ltd., a PSU that has been working with the government for the past decade. He contended that the CBI searched his premises despite him not being named in the FIR. The petition further alleged that during the searches, his daughter’s laptop was seized, and his wife’s bank account was frozen, claiming these actions amounted to mental harassment.
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