In a memorandum to Governor C Rangarajan, Tripathy said today that the authorities were trying to intimidate him by resorting to character assassination and tapping his telephone connection. Besides, pressure is being mounted on police officials and government officers to issue statements against his conduct, he added. He alleged that an attempt is also being made to induce some women into making frivolous statements against him.

Tripathy urged the Governor to facilitate a fearless atmosphere in which the CBI probe into the case could run smoothly and the likely witnesses would not feel intimidated.

It was surprising that instead of filing counter affidavits in the High Court, the ChiefMinister, the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary were issuing Press statements, he said, adding they had gone to the extent of asking an inspector of police and the State police association ``to come out against me.''

Tripathy said destruction of evidence is evident from the Press release of the State crime branch stating that the cassette which, according to him contained certain incriminating materials against the Chief Minister, was not available with them. ``So long as these people are in power, the success of further CBI investigation would be difficult,'' he said.

In his affidavit filed in the High Court on September 15 as per the court's direction, Tripathy who retired from service on October 31, 1997, had accused Chief Minister J B Patnaik of criminal conspiracy to suppress the case against former advocate general Indrajeet Ray who had since been charge-sheeted by the CBI for attempting to rape Anjana Mishra, estranged wife of a senior government officer.