India, July 28 -- The Odisha Crime Branch has formally taken over the investigation into the alleged disappearance of the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission report on the 2008 killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.

In an official statement issued on Tuesday, the CID Crime Branch said it has re-registered the case following the orders of the Director General of Police.

The case has been registered under Sections 305, 316(2), 238(c), 241 and 61(2)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The Crime Branch said the decision was taken "in view of the larger public interest and to ensure an impartial and thorough investigation" into the case originally registered at Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar.

Deputy Superintendent ...