Lensman Murder: The Big Fish
Bhubaneswar (Surjit Kumar Dhal): The Odisha Police arrested former IPR director and OIS officer Niranjan Sethi as ‘partners-in-crime’ in the cameraman Manas Swain kidnapping and murder case on Monday. The big fishes deeply involved in murder plots creating new stories hitting the State everyday. Sethi’s arrest by police on charges of co-key conspirator is now opening a new episode. For last three decades, the ex-OIS officer, who retired last month, had occupied influential positions. Sethi had served in the capacity of public relations officer (PRO) to Chief Minister and Governor. The former OIS officer has his involvement in each and every fields including the music world. Sethi has written lyrics for many romantic Odia modern and devotional songs.
It is evident his supremacy from the fact of how State ministers, legislators and big leaders graced the occasions of the release of his artworks under the banner of ‘Sai Smruti’ Youtube Channel and Publications. His power indicates how Sethi in his capacity as the IPR Director has empanelled prime accused in the Manas Swain murder case, Sarmistha Rout’s, fortnightly magazine ‘Sampoorna’ for getting State government Advertisements.
Many were surprised about the empanelment order passed on the last day of Sethi’s retirement. The Odisha IPR Department’s nepotism in empanelment, negotiation of rates for advertisements in newspapers, periodicals and TV channels have been audited and cracked by the CAG, Bhubaneswar in 2018-19. The report has identified dozens of miscreants in the IPR and had made dozens of recommendations to plug the loopholes. But the new episode shows the department did not heed to CAG findings.
The Office of Accountant General, Bhubaneswar, had sent a letter to the then IPR Secretary in March 2019 with innumerable findings of the IPR department. The CAG report has raised objections in its audit report on irregularities in the maintenance of Service Books of IPR department officials. “On verification of 59 Service Book of Government servants working under IPR dept, Audit noticed that the leave account of 17 employees was not updated by the head of the office. The report stated further that Audit observed, though annual increment was sanctioned, leave was granted, revised pay was fixed, but the head of the office had not attested the Service Books and even not given facility to the concerned employees to ensure the correctness of the entries made in the service books. Sarmistha Rout owns a web channel and fortnightly magazine namely Sampoorna. She also operates an elderly home, ‘Dayal Ashram’ at Sundarpada in Bhubaneswar. As per the police statement, Dayal Ashram has emerged as the crime spot in the Nayagarh cameraman kidnap and murder case. Additional SP, Bhadrak, Jatindra Panda today said, “kidnapping from Bhadrak, the victim was bundled to Dayal Ashram in Bhubaneswar where he was tortured and killed. Niranjan Sethi was at the crime spot and had been one among the torturers.”
The key accused had started her career as a desky-cum-reporter in a newly launched local daily in the 2000. One of her former colleague stated that she had political ambition from the beginning. She openly declared before colleagues stating that politics ran in her blood. Some of the photographs proves his intention which are in her FB status updates. It was clear her desire asshd shared the dais with the political leaders. Her alleged involvement in making obscene film clips is also in news. Police has now arrested some of her accomplices and is searching her to arrest as she absconded from Odisha. Her Web-portal office has been sealed and investigation is on the way.
