Bhubaneswar, Jul 28: In a major development, the Orissa High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in the ongoing Rs 10 lakh bribery investigation led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The case stems from a December 2024 incident in Bhubaneswar, where Chanchal Mukherjee, Director of Bridge and Roof Company Ltd., was allegedly caught red-handed accepting a bribe from a contractor near a luxury hotel.

The CBI subsequently arrested Mukherjee, contractor Santosh Moharana, and middleman Debadatta Mahapatra, launching a wider probe into corruption and influence peddling.

During the investigation, Sethi’s name surfaced, prompting a 16-hour CBI raid on his official residence in February 2025. Although he denied any wrongdoing and claimed he was being framed, the High Court has now lifted his interim protection and dismissed his petition, paving the way for possible arrest.

The CBI is expected to intensify its probe, with further questioning of Sethi likely in the coming days.

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