Bhubaneswar: Retired IAS officer Upendra Nath Behera (Odisha cadre, 1983 batch) failed to appear before the Capital Police on Sunday for questioning in connection with the alleged disappearance of two crucial inquiry reports from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), becoming the third former senior bureaucrat to skip police summons in the high-profile investigation.
Police officials said Behera neither appeared before investigators nor informed them of any reason for his absence.
Third Former Bureaucrat to Skip Summons
According to police, Behera was directed to appear before the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Zone-I) as part of the ongoing investigation into the missing CMO files.
His absence follows similar non-appearances by two other former top bureaucrats:
- Former Chief Secretary Rajesh Verma, who did not appear before investigators on July 22.
- Former IAS officer V.K. Pandian, who skipped questioning on July 25, informing police that he is currently abroad and would cooperate through virtual mode until returning to India.
Police had instructed all three former officials to appear for questioning and bring along any documents, files or electronic devices relevant to the investigation that might be in their possession.
A senior officer at Capital Police Station said, “Behera did not appear before the police today and has not informed us of any reason for his absence.”
Read also: Odisha Missing CMO Files Case: Police Summon Retired IAS Rajesh Verma, Ex-IT Secretary Manoj Mishra
Case Registered Over Missing CMO Files
The investigation began after an FIR was registered on June 10 based on a complaint filed by Sarat Chandra Marandi, Joint Secretary in the Odisha Home Department.
In his complaint, Marandi alleged that two important inquiry reports had gone missing from the Chief Minister’s Office during the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government.
The disappearance of these sensitive documents prompted the police to launch an investigation into possible administrative lapses or deliberate removal of official records.
Two High-Profile Inquiry Reports Missing
The missing documents relate to two significant incidents in Odisha’s recent history:
- Justice A.S. Naidu Commission Report on the 2008 murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati during the Kandhamal violence.
- Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) Inquiry Report into the 2016 SUM Hospital fire in Bhubaneswar.
Both reports are considered important official records connected to major incidents that attracted widespread public attention.
Investigators are attempting to determine how and when the files went missing and whether any official responsibility can be fixed.
Police Seeking Documents and Electronic Records
The summons issued by the Capital Police required the former officials not only to appear for questioning but also to produce any official documents, files or electronic devices that could assist the investigation.
Police are examining whether any administrative records or digital evidence remain with former officials who served in the Chief Minister’s Office during the relevant period.
The investigation is continuing, and officials have not ruled out issuing fresh summons if required.
About Upendra Nath Behera
Upendra Nath Behera is a retired 1983-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre. Born on July 23, 1957, he graduated in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur and later earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from IGNOU.
During his distinguished administrative career, he held several key assignments, including:
- Additional Chief Secretary
- Principal Secretary
- Commissioner & Secretary
- Special Secretary
- Chief Vigilance Officer
- Joint Secretary
- Private Secretary
- Managing Director
- Chief Executive
- Chairman & Managing Director
His most prominent assignment was as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office, a position he held from November 28, 2015, to January 16, 2017.
The Capital Police investigation into the missing CMO files remains underway, with investigators continuing efforts to trace the missing reports and examine the role of officials who had access to sensitive government records during the previous administration.
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