Senior IAS officer from Odisha alleges harassment by CBI team, threatens to kill self

The CBI team reached the official's residence at 8 am in connection with its probe into a Rs 10 lakh bribery case. CBI officials present at the spot argued that there was no such ill-treatment of the officer as alleged.

Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi on Tuesday had a heated exchange with a CBI team and threatened to end his life for loss of name and fame after officials of the investigating agency searched his residence.

The CBI team reached Sethi’s official residence at 8 am in connection with its probe into a Rs 10 lakh bribery case.

Stating that he feels "helpless" as none listens to him being innocent in the case, Sethi threatened to end his life.

"I am ready to resign and may commit suicide in the face of harassment," Sethi told reporters outside his residence and in the presence of CBI officials.

He alleged that the CBI team took away his mobile phone and also searched his native village in Balasore district.

"They also did not bring the local police during the search," he said.

The 1995 batch IAS officer also alleged that he was being targeted for being a Dalit.

"They think we are cheap people as I do not have any political support and belong to a deprived community for which I am targeted," he claimed.

The senior bureaucrat also said he had always cooperated with the CBI and appeared before the agency twice earlier.

"However, none listens to me and there is no FIR against my name," he clarified, expressing dismay over the behaviour of two officers in the team.

"You (reporters) see, how an inspector is repeatedly touching my shoulder when I am speaking to the media," Sethi pointed out.

CBI officials present at the spot argued that there was no such ill-treatment of the officer as alleged.

Sethi, surrounded by CBI officials at his residence, said, "The CBI officials carried out a search at my residence, even though there is no FIR against me. They are unnecessarily harassing me and my family."

He said, "They (CBI) came to search my house without prior notice and their eight-member team does not include a woman officer. The male officials searched my house while my wife was the only woman in the house."

"We are being falsely implicated and harassed," Sethi’s wife told reporters.

The CBI had earlier summoned Sethi in connection with the bribery case.

Sethi claimed he has no links with Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited, a central public sector undertaking, or its group general manager, Chanchal Mukherjee, who was arrested in the bribery case last year.

On December 7, the agency arrested Mukherjee while allegedly accepting a bribe from Santosh Moharana, director of Bhubaneswar-based Penta A Studio Private Ltd, and middleman Debadutta Mohapatra. Another person was also arrested in this connection.

After the trio’s arrest, the CBI on December 10 sent a notice to Sethi to appear before it.

"It is learnt that you are acquainted with some important and relevant facts and circumstances of the case, which are required to be ascertained from you," the CBI letter to Sethi said. His drivers were also interrogated by the agency last year.

Meanwhile, a handwritten resignation letter purportedly written by Sethi is being circulated on social media, which could not be independently verified by PTI.

The letter addressed to the chief secretary stated, "Tendering resignation as a mark of protest."

However, the authenticity of the letters was neither confirmed by Sethi or the government. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja told PTI that he had not received any such letter.