The Orissa High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the state government while hearing a petition demanding a CBI probe into the murder of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples in Kandhamal district over 15 years ago.

All of them were killed at Jalespata Ashram in Kandhamal on Janmashtami on August 23, 2008. The high court asked the Odisha government to submit its response by March 5.

Advocate Debashisha Hota, who filed the petition before the court, told The Telegraph: “The murder is a state-sponsored murder. The government tried to show that the murder was perpetrated by the Maoists. They tried to hide the real cause behind the murder.

“Only a CBI probe can bring out the truth. The crime branch probe by Odisha police failed to establish that Maoists were behind the crime.”

Hota during his argument before Justice Chitta Ranjan Das court argued how the crime branch overlooked
four important issues — religious conversion, cow slaughter and trafficking of cows
in the areas, forceful acquisition of tribal lands by those non-tribals converted to Christianity and converted Panos (a particular community) successfully included “Kui” language in the central list of reserved categories and enjoy benefits of reservation belonging to the Scheduled Caste.

“Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati worked on these fronts and worked for the cause of the tribals. The crime branch failed to deal with these issues. Hence a CBI probe is required,” Hota argued.

He said: “The state government ordered a judicial probe. The judicial commission report is yet to be placed before the Odisha Assembly. All are in the dark?”

Stating that both the then UPA government and BJD governments were responsible for the murder of Swamiji, Hota said: “Just a week before the murder, the CRPF
which were there for Swamiji’s security, had been withdrawn by the Centre on August 15, 2008.

“Even on that fateful day, the personnel security provided by the Odisha police force went on leave. It seems like a pre-planned murder.”

On being asked why he filed a petition almost 15 years after the incident, Hota said: “Only last year I came across a book in Odia about what could be the cause behind the murder of the Swamiji?

“I started my research,
visited Kandhamal, spent time at Jalespata Ashram and moved across talking to
different people. I realised that there was a conspiracy behind the murder. On December 18, 2023, I filed a petition demanding a CBI probe into the incident.”

On hearing the petition, the High Court asked the Orissa government to submit its response by March 5 on the issue.

“It observed why a CBI probe will not be ordered for the case. The case will be taken up for hearing on March 5,” said the advocate.

Communal violence had flared up in Kandhamal after the murder of Swami. Nearly 35 people lost their lives. Eight people — Maoists and their sympathisers — were convicted of the murder. The riots forced chief minister Naveen Patnaik to end his 11-year-old alliance with the BJP to express his commitment and secularism.