Bhubaneswar: Arrested former Director of I&PR Department and key conspirator in cameraman Manas Swain’s murder, had empanelled Odia fortnightly newspaper “Sampurna” in the approved list for the issue of Government advertisements on the very day of his retirement.
Sampurna’s Editor Sarmistha Rout is the prime accused in cameraman Manash Swain’s kidnapping and murder.
Ommcomm News has a copy of the order issued by the I&PR Department with Sethi’s signature on it.
Whether it is ethical on the part of Sethi to empanel an inconsequential magazine on the day of his retirement, is debatable. But this decision has raised eyebrows in the backdrop of Sarmistha’s alleged involvement in her cameraman’s murder.
Though it is nothing unprofessional of Sethi to issue an order that would result in pecuniary benefit to a beneficiary on the very day of his retirement, it can certainly be considered unethical.
Persons in the know of things have said that Sethi had empanelled the fortnightly for the issue of Government advertisements in exchange for ‘undue favours’ from Sarmistha.
Sampurna did not have a circulation figure of 15,200 copies as mentioned in the order, they added. They said that empanelment of the fortnightly for the issue of Government advertisement was in violation of the norms and rules.
