Raukela: Less than a year after its inauguration by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, the state-run Circuit House in Odisha’s steel city of Raurkela has found itself embroiled in twin controversies that raised serious questions about the management and use of the state-run facility.
The establishment, which is strictly reserved for senior government officials, ministers, lawmakers, and accredited dignitaries, first courted controversy following a major police raid in mid-August. During the operation, police recovered illegal firearms and live ammunition from the premises and arrested several individuals, which suggested that armed criminals were allegedly being sheltered inside the facility.
The fallout led to the arrest of 35-year-old youth BJP leader Prakash Paswan, who was Union Tribal Affairs Minister and Sundargarh BJP MP Jual Oram’s representative to the Rourkela Municipal Corporation, from Bihar on charges of harbouring criminals at the circuit house. Paswan was also suspended by the party.
Before the administrative fallout from the arms seizure could fully settle, a second controversy erupted after an old social media video posted by an “adult” film star, went viral online. In the five-minute clip shared with her 300,000 Instagram followers, the actor documented her journey from Jharsuguda airport to Panposh Circuit House dating back to December 1, 2025, boasting about the VIP treatment she received, which included being ferried from the airport in a luxury vehicle rented by a local private firm.
“The owner of the company is coming to pick me up himself in his Audi for the two hour journey to Raurkela. I can claim this to be a first achievement in my career,” she is heard saying in Hindi at the airport, though she never specified who she was referring to.
Flaunting the exclusive nature of the government facility, she said: “As you can see, I am going to stay at the circuit house. I left my government job in 2023 but never received such a treatment. I was never in a rank in which I could stay in a circuit. Only top officers get to stay here… So, the people on whose invitation I am here are no small fry.”
“I have a meeting with the SP and his son. I have come here for biggest project of my life. I won’t reveal further,” she added.
The revelation triggered a fresh police inquiry to determine how an unauthorised guest managed to secure a room intended strictly for government officials. A local travel agency owner, individuals associated with a local jewellery firm, circuit house staff, the luxury vehicle driver, and the son of a retired police officer suspected of facilitating the booking, have been questioned so far. Police have also requested a detailed report from the Panposh sub-collector’s office to audit room allotment records, booking approvals, and guest lists from recent months to uncover systemic lapses, while probe is also underway to verify claims made by the actor.
Sources further stated that the son of the retired SP-rank officer had also allegedly put up a post on his social media account, on having extended an invite to the actor.
Western Range DIG Brijesh Rai confirmed that while no formal case has been registered yet, police are actively probing who authorised the accommodation and whether standard administrative procedures were violated. Panposh sub-collector Chandra Kanta Mallick, however, denied having information about the stay of any actor or film star in the circuit house.