Orissa High Court has extended interim protection for IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in the bribery probe.
The Orissa High Court on Monday extended interim protection for senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi (1995 batch) until May 5, in connection with an alleged bribery case linked to Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited, a Government of India enterprise.
According to Mr. Sethi’s legal counsel, Debasish Kumar Panda, the court has also extended interim protection to Mr. Sethi’s wife and daughter.
The case traces back to December 8, when Chanchal Mukherjee, Group General Manager of Bridge and Roof Company, was arrested in Bhubaneswar while allegedly accepting a ₹10 lakh bribe from a real estate firm in exchange for issuing a work order. During interrogation by the CBI, Mukherjee reportedly mentioned Mr. Sethi’s name, prompting the agency to bring him under scrutiny.
Subsequently, the CBI summoned Mr. Sethi for questioning, and on February 18, an eight-member CBI team conducted a raid at his official residence in Bhubaneswar. The search reportedly led to a dispute between Mr. Sethi and CBI officials.
Mr. Sethi has strongly denied any involvement in the case, asserting that he has no connection with Mr. Mukherjee or Bridge and Roof Company, and has never received any favors from them. He also pointed out that no FIR has been registered against him.
On February 24, Mr. Sethi moved the Orissa High Court, alleging harassment by the CBI towards him and his family, which led to the court’s intervention and the granting of interim protection.
