Former Odisha Director General of Police Prakash Mishra has been booked in a financial impropriety case by the vigilance department of the state. A tough officer, Mishra allegedly flouted rules in granting supply orders to the tune of Rs 58 crore to cement and steel companies during his tenure as the CMD of the Police Housing and Welfare Corporation from 2006 to 2009.
However, the audit report found no irregularities. The officer, too, claimed that he is being targeted by vested interests.
“It’s a case of vendetta against me. It’s an attempt to scuttle my chances for Director CBI vacancy coming in December 2014. If it was such a serious case what prevented the state government from acting in almost 6 years? The audit report is not naming me or any other official of state housing corporation. The Vigilance department never called me to check during the open inquiry. I will seek judicial remedy,” he said.
Mishra, a 1977 batch Indian Police Service officer from Orissa cadre, is the senior most candidate for the top post of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after Director Ranjit Sinha. He is currently the Special Secretary with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In June 2014 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to say that the Centre wants his services as Special Secretary Internal Security.
But within 24 hours the Orissa government removed him as the DGP and sent letter to Centre that Mishra saying cannot be spared as a Vigilance case is on. The case pertains to 2006 when he was the CMD state housing corporation. But it is also ironic that the state government, which is now targeting him, twice gave him a no objection certificate (NOC) for central deputation and picked him for the prestigious post of Orissa DGP.
Naveen Patnaik fears that Mishra knows about the chit fund scam and will create more trouble for his government if he goes to the CBI. The Attorney General of Odisha was arrested a few days back.
