Bhubaneswar, 25 July (H.S.): Former IAS officer V.K. Pandian, who previously served as a close aide to former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, did not appear before the Commissionerate Police on Saturday for questioning in connection with the alleged disappearance of key inquiry commission reports from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

In a communication sent via email, Pandian informed the police that he is currently out of the country and unable to comply with the summons in person. He requested that his statement be recorded through a video call. He further stated that in case a virtual interaction is not feasible, he will appear before the investigating अधिकारियों immediately upon his return to India.

The police had earlier issued a notice directing him to appear on July 25 as part of the ongoing probe into the alleged missing files. The case pertains to the disappearance of two significant reports from the CMO records.

These include the report of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission, which investigated the 2008 murder of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal, and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner’s (RDC) inquiry report on the 2016 fire incident at SUM Hospital and Medical College in Bhubaneswar.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda