Former Director General (DG) of Odisha Police Prakash Mishra’s reported statement that the Naveen Patnaik administration was upset with him over seizure of illegal money by the police at several places during the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections has triggered a row in the state.
“I was innocent. The state government was unnecessary targeting me. The government perhaps was upset over seizure of money during the 2014 polls. The money were seized at various places,” Mishra, now the Director General (DG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said in the wake of an Orissa High Court verdict in favour of him on Friday in a corruption case filed by the state vigilance department.
The senior IPS officer’s statement has prompted both the principal opposition parties in the state, the Congress and the BJP, to attack the Naveen Patnaik led BJD government. Both parties said the regional outfit used black money to win the 2014 twin polls.
The ruling BJD on the other hand rejected Mishra’s claim and questioned why he had not spoken about it earlier. “He is behaving like a politician,” the regional outfit’s spokesperson, Samir Dash said.
Mishra who was the DG of the state police during the 2014 polls was removed from his post soon after the elections. He went on central deputation subsequently and was made a special secretary in the Union home ministry before he was given the present assignment.
In September last, the state vigilance department filed a case against Mishra citing fund irregularities. The officer had challenged the vigilance department’s move in the High Court alleging that it was only intended to prevent his appointment in an important post at the Centre. At that time Mishra’s name was doing the rounds for the post of CBI director.
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