Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police investigation into the disappearance of two of the state's most sensitive inquiry reports – the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati murder case and the RDC inquiry report into the SUM Hospital fire tragedy – has entered a far more decisive phase, with investigators expanding the probe beyond missing files to the administrative and digital ecosystem that handled them.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted under the Twin City Police Commissioner, has now summoned two former senior IAS officers – former Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Rajesh Verma and former IT Secretary Manoj Mishra – indicating that investigators are now attempting to reconstruct the complete chain of custody of the two reports.

The summons come after the police reportedly found significant gaps in the movement of the files, particularly around June 4, 2024, immediately after the change of government in Odisha, when several files were returned from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) to the Home Department, but these two politically sensitive inquiry reports were allegedly not.

Why Rajesh Verma and Manoj Mishra?

Investigators are not suggesting that the two officers were physically handling the files on June 4, 2024. Instead, police sources indicate the summons are aimed at understanding how sensitive inquiry reports were processed, stored and tracked within the highest levels of the state administration.

Rajesh Verma, a 1987-batch IAS officer, had served as Principal Secretary to then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik between 2017 and 2019 before moving to the Centre as Secretary to the President of India from August 2022 until his retirement in August 2024.

Since he was not posted in the Odisha CMO in June 2024, investigators are believed to be examining his knowledge of the administrative protocols governing confidential commission reports, movement of classified government files and the internal procedures adopted during his tenure that may help reconstruct the handling mechanism of such sensitive records.

Police sources said officers are trying to establish whether the file management protocols remained unchanged over the years and whether any deviations occurred during the final months of the previous government.

Why the Former IT Secretary Has Become Crucial

The summoning of former IT Secretary Manoj Mishra points to another important dimension of the investigation.

The SIT is no longer relying solely on physical files, dispatch registers and movement books.

Instead, investigators are conducting what officials describe as a parallel digital forensic audit.

Police are examining:

• electronic file movement logs;
• e-office metadata;
• access credentials;
• server records;
• digital audit trails;
• CCTV footage inside Lok Seva Bhawan; and
• internal communication records relating to the movement of the inquiry reports.

As the administrative head overseeing the state's IT infrastructure during the previous government, Manoj Mishra is expected to explain how digital tracking systems operated, whether audit logs can be retrieved and whether any electronic footprints remain that could establish who last accessed or handled the reports.

What Has Police Smelt?

The investigation has clearly moved beyond treating the disappearance as a case of misplaced government records.

According to the FIR registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita dealing with criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and destruction of official records, investigators are probing whether there was intentional removal, concealment or destruction of the inquiry reports.

One fact has particularly drawn the attention of investigators.

Police sources said while several files were reportedly returned from the Chief Minister's Office to the Home Department after the change of government, the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report and the RDC inquiry report relating to the SUM Hospital fire allegedly did not return.

This selective disappearance has prompted investigators to examine whether the omission resulted from administrative negligence or was part of a deliberate attempt to suppress sensitive government records.

Reconstructing the Chain of Command

The investigation is now focused on rebuilding the administrative chain of command existing around June 4, 2024.

Officials associated with the probe said investigators are attempting to identify:

• who had lawful custody of the files;
• who authorised their movement;
• who physically handled them;
• who possessed digital access rights; and
• whether every stage of movement was properly recorded.

The SIT is matching physical dispatch registers with electronic audit logs to identify inconsistencies that could reveal where the official trail broke.

Probe Moves Into Administrative Core

The summoning of two former top bureaucrats signals that the investigation has now entered the administrative nerve centre of the previous government.

Sources familiar with the probe said investigators are conducting what is effectively a forensic audit of both governance processes and digital record management systems rather than merely searching for missing documents.

Besides examining physical registers, officers are reportedly scrutinising CCTV recordings, server logs, access records and internal communications to determine whether the disappearance involved procedural lapses or criminal intent.

More Senior Officials May Be Called

With the probe widening, the possibility of more summons cannot be ruled out.

Investigators are expected to question additional officials who were associated with the Chief Minister's Office, the Home Department, the Chief Secretary's Office and the IT establishment during the period when the inquiry reports remained under government custody.

Officials responsible for maintaining digital infrastructure, surveillance systems and e-office databases may also be examined as the SIT attempts to establish an unbroken chain of custody.

The investigation has already moved well beyond preliminary verification.

Police are now systematically identifying every individual who exercised administrative responsibility, physical access or digital control over the two missing inquiry reports.

As investigators continue to correlate documentary evidence with electronic records and witness statements, the circle of questioning is expected to widen further until accountability for the disappearance of the two sensitive inquiry reports is conclusively established.

Also Read: Swami Laxmanananda Report That Never Reached the Assembly: Former CMO Big Officials Under SIT Scanner; Law Ordains 5 Years' Jail| Analysis