IAS Officer Bishnupada Under CBI Scanner

BHUBANESWR: Senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi, who was summoned by CBI to join the investigation in connection with a bribery investigation involving Chanchal Mukherjee, a high-ranking official of Bridge and Roof Co. (India) Limited, has reportedly sought more time for compliance.

CBI said Sethi is believed to have knowledge of relevant details concerning the bribery case. Three of his drivers were questioned by the CBI on Saturday.

A hotel manager appeared before the CBI for quizzing. Mukherjee had attended a meeting at the hotel on December 7 with Santosh Moharana, a director of a private company, and another middleman, Dedadutta Mahapatra. Shortly after the meeting, Mukherjee was arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe from Moharana to influence tender allotments.

Sethi's department, the ST&SC development department, had recently assigned several projects for upgrading Ashram Schools and high schools, some of which were awarded to PSUs, including Bridge and Roof Ltd., the company involved in the bribery case.