: Utkal Bharat, a political outfit, on Saturday lodged a police complaint seeking action against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Vigilance Director K.B. Singh for allegedly framing current CRPF DG Praksh Mishra in a false case.
“Mr. Patnaik, who holds additional portfolio of Home department, had entered into a criminal conspiracy with the Vigilance Director to harass Mr. Mishra in order to prevent him from being selected as director of the CBI. Chief Minister and Vigilance Director have succeeded in their conspiracy,” said Utkal Bharat president A. Kharavela Swain after lodging a complaint in Capital Police Station here.
Mr. Swain said that the recent Orissa High Court judgement clearly explained the complicity of Chief Minister and the Vigilance Director in the conspiracy. The Odisha government tried to frame Mr. Mishra in a false corruption case, he said.
Quoting the HC verdict, the former MP said the entire action of the vigilance authorities smacked of arbitrary and malafide exercise of power with the oblique motive to harass the CRPF DG and damage his reputation.
“The HC verdict says it is not very uncommon that upright and honest public servants having impeccable track record are often hounded by the ruling political establishments for extraneous consideration,” Mr. Swain mentioned in the complaint.
It is to be noted that Mr. Mishra, former DG of Odisha, was in the race for becoming the next CBI chief after Ranjit Sinha’s retirement. However, State Vigilance department lodged a corruption case accusing him of manipulating records of Rs 59 crore advance to cement and steel suppliers when he was heading the Orissa State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation from 2006-09. As a result of the case, it is learnt, he was not considered for the post of CBI director. The CRPF DG had moved the Orissa HC seeking quashing of the case. The HC gave order in his favour.
