Orissa HC quashes FIR against CRPF DG

In a major relief to Director General of CRPF Prakash Mishra, the Orissa High Court today quashed the FIR registered against him by the state vigilance directorate in a case of alleged graft.
Justice S C Parija passed the order, reserved by the HC on April 27 this year, quashing the FIR thereby stopping criminal proceedings against the 1977-batch IPS officer.
The vigilance wing of Odisha police had booked Mishra under Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B of IPC, which acted against him in November last year.
Mishra had challenged the vigilance move terming the FIR against him as "suspect" and "suggestive of oblique motives" and had urged the High Court to quash the FIR and stop the criminal proceedings against him as the same was an outcome of malafide action and abuse of judicial process.

The Vigilance Directorate however, had been arguing that during Mishra's tenure as Chairman-cum Managing Director of Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation between 2006 and 2009, it was found that the accounts of the company were not properly maintained and hundred percent advances were paid to material suppliers without authority. This caused pecuniary loss of Rs 7.27 crore to the state exchequer.
Mishra had also served as the Odisha Director General of Police between July, 2012 and June, 2014 and is on central deputation since July last year after he was removed from the post and shunted to an inconsequential post in the state transport department.

A strong contender for the coveted post of CBI director, which he missed due to the vigilance case against him, Mishra was appointed CRPF DG on December 20, 2014.