Senior IPS officer in the Union Home Ministry and former Odisha DGP Prakash Mishra, who is fighting a vigilance case here, got a major relief today when the Orissa High Court restrained the state government from taking any "coercive" action against him till further direction.
A press release issued by the State Vigilance Directorate stated that the High Court refused to grant a stay on the investigation and quash the FIR filed against Mishra who had filed a petition in this regard.
The release, however, said that the High Court has ordered not to take any coercive action against Mishra in connection with the vigilance case.
Adjudicating over a petition filed by Mishra seeking to quash the vigilance FIR against him, a single-judge bench of Justice S C Parija adjourned the matter to be heard again on October 29.
The 1977-batch officer is currently posted in New Delhi and is working as Special Secretary (internal security) in North Block.
The High Court also asked the State Vigilance Directorate to furnish the case diary and other relevant documents before the next hearing while adjudicating over a miscellaneous case filed by Mishra in which he had urged the court to call for the records.
The State Vigilance Directorate had last month slapped a corruption and criminal case against Mishra for allegedly showing undue favour to some steel and cement suppliers during his tenure as CMD of Odisha State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation in 2006-09.
The FIR alleged that Mishra had illegally usurped financial power of the Corporation and made hundred per cent advances to the suppliers to the tune of Rs 57.86 crore violating the Odisha PWD Code.
The FIR also went on to accuse Mishra stating that the senior police officer's act had incurred a financial loss of Rs 7.27 crore to the state exchequer as the same amount remained un-reconciled till date.
However, soon after he was booked last month, Mishra had refuted it saying the state government acted in a vindictive manner to stop him from assuming the post of next CBI chief.
