Odisha: Senior IAS officer alleges harassment by CBI team, threatens to kill self
Bhubaneswar, Feb 18 (PTI): Senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi on Tuesday had a heated exchange with a CBI team and threatened to end his life for loss of name and fame after officials of the investigating agency searched his residence.
The CBI team reached Sethi’s official residence at 8 AM in connection with its probe into a Rs 10 lakh bribery case.
Stating that he feels "helpless" as none listens to him being innocent in the case, Sethi threatened to end his life.
"I am ready to resign and may commit suicide in the face of harassment," Sethi told reporters outside his residence and in the presence of CBI officials.
He alleged that the CBI team took away his mobile phone and also searched his native village in Balasore district.
"They also did not bring the local police during the search," he said.
The 1995 batch IAS officer also alleged that he was being targeted for being a Dalit.
"They think we are cheap people as I do not have any political support and belong to a deprived community for which I am targeted," he claimed.
The senior bureaucrat also said he had always cooperated with the CBI and appeared before the agency twice earlier.
"However, none listens to me and there is no FIR against my name," he clarified, expressing dismay over the behaviour of two officers in the team.
"You (reporters) see, how an inspector is repeatedly touching my shoulder when I am speaking to the media," Sethi pointed out.
CBI officials present at the spot argued that there was no such ill-treatment of the officer as alleged.
Sethi, surrounded by CBI officials at his residence, said, "The CBI officials carried out a search at my residence, even though there is no FIR against me. They are unnecessarily harassing me and my family."
He said, "They (CBI) came to search my house without prior notice and their eight-member team does not include a woman officer. The male officials searched my house while my wife was the only woman in the house."
"We are being falsely implicated and harassed," Sethi’s wife told reporters.
The CBI had earlier summoned Sethi in connection with the bribery case.
Sethi claimed he has no links with Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited, a central public sector undertaking, or its group general manager, Chanchal Mukherjee, who was arrested in the bribery case last year.
On December 7, the agency arrested Mukherjee while allegedly accepting a bribe from Santosh Moharana, director of Bhubaneswar-based Penta A Studio Private Ltd, and middleman Debadutta Mohapatra. Another person was also arrested in this connection.
After the trio’s arrest, the CBI on December 10 sent a notice to Sethi to appear before it.
"It is learnt that you are acquainted with some important and relevant facts and circumstances of the case, which are required to be ascertained from you," the CBI letter to Sethi said. His drivers were also interrogated by the agency last year.
Meanwhile, a handwritten resignation letter purportedly written by Sethi is being circulated on social media, which could not be independently verified by PTI.
The letter addressed to the chief secretary stated, "Tendering resignation as a mark of protest."
However, the authenticity of the letters was neither confirmed by Sethi or the government. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja told PTI that he had not received any such letter.
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Will vacate one of two assembly seats won in 10 days: BJP''s Suvendu
Kolkata (PTI): BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur and secured Nandigram for three times in a row in the recent assembly polls, said on Wednesday that he would vacate one of the two constituencies within 10 days.
Adhikari also asserted that the party's central leadership would decide which constituency he would retain.
"I will vacate one seat within 10 days. The party will decide which one I retain. I will not forget my responsibility towards the people of Bhabanipur and Nandigram," he said.
Adhikari on Monday defeated Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes, puncturing what was long seen as her safest political refuge and delivering a decisive psychological blow to the TMC, amid a sweeping BJP surge across West Bengal.
Addressing party workers and supporters in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, the BJP leader appealed to them not to take out victory processions immediately and instead maintain peace.
"Do not take out victory rallies now. Maintain peace and discipline. Celebrate after May 9, after taking permission," he told party workers.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Wednesday announced that the oath-taking ceremony of the new government will be held on May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground.
Referring to alleged attacks on BJP workers during the TMC regime, Adhikari said he would not forget the “atrocities" faced by them and assured them of taking appropriate action against perpetrators through legal processes.
"I was part of the 2011 ‘poribartan’ (change), and now I am part of the real change. I offer my gratitude to the people of Nandigram," Adhikari said.
He was referring to the TMC's victory in 2011 when the Mamata Banerjee party dismantled the 34-year Left Front regime in the state.
Adhikari offered prayers at a Hanuman statue in Nandigram and remembered the BJP workers, who had died in political violence.
"We will work in such a way that the BJP government in Bengal stays for 100 years," he said, expressing hope that the BJP’s vote share in the state would rise from the current 46 per cent to 60 per cent in future elections.
The BJP leader also assured residents of Nandigram of improved drinking water supply and better hospital and education infrastructure.
