Bhubaneswar: The State government will place the inquiry report of the judicial commission on the Ratna Bhandar key before the Cabinet. The Advocate General, Pitambar Acharya, apprised the Orissa High Court today.
“The Advocate General told the court that the commission of inquiry had submitted the report to the State government in 2018, but the previous government sat silent on it. Now, the government has decided to place the report before the Cabinet,” said senior lawyer Anup Mohapatra.
Speaking to the media, Mohapatra further informed that the court has been apprised that the Ratna Bhandar inventory has not been done since it was last conducted in 1978. He also informed the court that a committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Justice BN Rath. Under the committee’s supervision, the Ratna Bhandar ornaments have been temporarily shifted, but no inventory has been made.
“Our main prayer was about the loss of the Ratna Bhandar key. The Commission of Inquiry Act has not been followed in the investigation,” he added.
The ASI also filed an affidavit before the High Court, apprising it that the Ratna Bhandar repair work is expected to be completed by Snana Purnima, although no specific date has been mentioned. The matter has been posted for the next hearing on May 15.
