Bhubaneswar: A significant legal development has emerged in the long-pending murder case of Hindu seer Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, with a fresh petition being placed before the Odisha High Court seeking a court-monitored investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The latest application, filed by advocate Debashish Hota, raises serious concerns over the reported disappearance of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission inquiry report from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). The petitioner has argued that the missing report strengthens the demand for an independent investigation into the 2008 assassination of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader and his associates.
According to the petition, the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission was specifically constituted to investigate the brutal killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his followers at the Jalespeta Ashram in Kandhamal on August 23, 2008. The commission completed its inquiry and submitted its findings in 2015.
The controversy surfaced after a complaint filed by the Home Department on June 10, 2026, revealed that the commission report, which had been forwarded to the CMO in September 2016, could not be traced when files were returned to the department following the change of government in Odisha in June 2024. Officials subsequently reported that the document was missing.
Acting on the complaint, Capital Police Station registered a criminal case on June 20 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Senior government functionaries have publicly suggested that the report may have been deliberately removed rather than misplaced, triggering a wider political and legal controversy.
In the interim application, the petitioner contends that the disappearance of a judicial commission report from the state’s highest executive office raises serious questions regarding possible evidence tampering and suppression of facts. The plea argues that the incident points to potential interference with crucial records connected to one of Odisha’s most sensitive criminal cases.
“The disappearance of the Justice Naidu Commission report from the CMO is a grave blow to administrative transparency and judicial integrity. It raises concerns about attempts to suppress the truth behind the assassination of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati,” advocate Debashish Hota stated in a press release issued on Wednesday.
The petitioner has requested the High Court to formally take on record the developments relating to the missing report and consider them while hearing the pending plea seeking a CBI investigation.
The case has once again brought public attention to the long-standing demand for a fresh investigation into the murder of the Hindu leader. Supporters of the CBI probe have consistently argued that several aspects of the case require further scrutiny and that an independent agency would ensure a fair and transparent investigation.
Meanwhile, Odisha Police has intensified its investigation into the disappearance of two commission-related files from the CMO. Investigators recently conducted another round of searches at the General Administration Department in Lok Seva Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, examining records maintained by senior government offices, including those of the Chief Secretary.
The probe follows an earlier inspection conducted on June 20 after the registration of the FIR. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has since been constituted to determine how the files went missing, identify those responsible, and examine whether any criminal conspiracy was involved.
The issue gained political significance after Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari suggested that the missing reports appeared to have been deliberately stolen. He further stated that all individuals connected to the handling of the documents would be questioned during the course of the investigation, and that no one would be exempt if evidence warranted further examination.
Background of the Case
The murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples at the Jalespeta Ashram in Kandhamal on August 23, 2008, triggered one of the most serious episodes of communal violence in Odisha’s recent history. According to official figures, the violence that followed resulted in at least 38 deaths and widespread unrest across several districts.
Over the years, multiple inquiries were conducted into the incident, culminating in the appointment of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission in 2012. Although the commission submitted its report in 2015, its findings have never been made public, leading to recurring demands for transparency and renewed calls for a comprehensive investigation.
With the reported disappearance of the inquiry report now under scrutiny, the matter has once again moved to the centre of legal and political debate in Odisha, while all eyes remain on the Orissa High Court’s response to the latest plea seeking a CBI-led investigation.
