CBI raids: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Feb 18: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted a raid at the residence of senior Odisha IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in Bhubaneswar over an alleged bribery case linked to public sector enterprise Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited.
A team of eight CBI officials arrived at Sethi’s residence early in the morning and carried out a thorough search operation. However, Sethi denied any wrongdoing, stating that no FIR had been registered against him and he was unaware of the reasons for the raid.
The investigation stems from a ₹10 lakh bribery case in which the CBI had earlier arrested four individuals, including Chanchal Mukherjee, the Group General Manager of Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited, a central PSU headquartered in Kolkata. Mukherjee was apprehended on December 7 near a luxury hotel in Bhubaneswar’s Jayadev Vihar while allegedly accepting a bribe from Santosh Moharana, director of Penta A Studio Private Ltd, and middleman Debadutta Mohapatra.
Following the arrests, the CBI issued a notice to Bishnupada Sethi on December 10, summoning him for questioning. The notice stated that Sethi was acquainted with crucial facts regarding the case. Additionally, CBI officials have interrogated his drivers, though the agency has not disclosed what specific information it seeks from the IAS officer.
