Bribery Probe Intensifies: Odisha IAS Officer Under CBI Scrutiny

The CBI has summoned Odisha IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi and questioned his drivers in a bribery case involving Chanchal Mukherjee and others. The case pertains to the alleged acceptance of bribes for work orders and bill clearances. The state's ministers emphasize zero tolerance towards corruption.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intensified its investigation into an alleged bribery case by summoning senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi in Odisha. This move involved questioning Sethi's drivers to gather critical details on the case, sources revealed on Saturday.

The drivers were interrogated for about three hours at the CBI's Bhubaneswar office, disclosing information about Sethi's activities and interactions on a specific day. One driver, Nrushingha Satpathy, reported no personal involvement in the bribery probe, denying any monetary transfers to his account.

The investigation links to Chanchal Mukherjee, arrested with contractors Santosh Maharana and Debadatta Mahapatra, in a bribery incident. Odisha's Law Minister, Prithiviraj Harichandan, affirms the state's zero-tolerance policy on corruption, anticipating stringent measures if connections are confirmed.

(With inputs from agencies.)