Court Issues NBW Against IAS Officer in PA’s Death Case

Bhubaneswar: A court in Odisha has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against IAS officer Manish Agrawal in connection with the mysterious death of his personal assistant (PA) during his tenure as Malkangiri Collector in 2019. The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Malkangiri has also issued NBWs against three others linked to the case.

The court took the step after Agrawal, currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Planning & Convergence Department, failed to appear despite multiple notices.

The case dates back to December 27, 2019, when Debnarayan Panda, Agrawal’s PA, went missing from his office. His body was recovered from Satiguda dam the following day. Initially, the police registered it as a suicide case, later reclassifying it as an unnatural death.

However, Panda’s wife alleged that he was murdered, claiming he possessed information about alleged corruption involving the then Malkangiri Collector and others. She subsequently filed a case in the Malkangiri SDJM court, leading to a murder FIR against Agrawal and three others.

Following the court’s directive, the Odisha Police’s CID-Crime Branch launched an investigation into the incident.