The Odisha High Court on Monday restrained the State Government and its Vigilance department from taking any coercive action against former DGP Prakash Mishra on the basis of an FIR filed against him for alleged irregularity in making advance payment of Rs 59 crore to some steel and cement supply firms during his tenure as the CMD of the Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation (OPHWC) between 2006 and 2009.
The case was posted to October 29.
While taking up a petition filed by Mishra seeking quashing of the FIR against him, Justice SC Parija also issued notices to the State and Union Governments to file replies to Mishra’s contention that he was being unduly victimised by the State Government.
The court passed the order after hearing Mishra’s counsels, Supreme Court lawyer Amal Kumar Ganguly and High Court lawyers Sanjit Mohanty and Bibhu Prasad Das. The Union Government, the State Government and the Vigilance department were represented by Additional Solicitor General Anup Kumar Bose, senior Government Advocate Ramakant Mohapatra and senior lawyer SK Mund, respectively.
Prakash Mishra is presently posted as the Special Secretary, Internal Security, Government of India.
On September 20, days after he went on Central deputation to New Delhi despite desperate efforts by the State Government to block his way, the Vigilance department registered the case against him.
Mishra had then hit back accusing the Naveen Patnaik Government of vendetta and sought to know why the State Government had invited him to become the DGP in 2012 if there were such serious allegations against him.
The State Government’s move was seen by many as a move to scuttle his prospects as the next CBI chief.