IPS officers shunted in Odisha; Expectations high from Police DG’s new team 

In the first major reshuffle effected after 100 days of the Mohan Majhi-led BJP government in Odisha, while many controversial IPS officers have been shunted, former Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police’s chief Sanjeeb Panda and former Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh seem to have paid a hefty price for the Bharatpur custodial assault incident. 

The reshuffle notification was out at 8 PM on Sunday and Suresh Dev Datta Singh assumed charge as the new commissioner for Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Twin City at 1 PM on Monday. Sanjeeb Panda has been appointed as ADG, Training and Director of Biju Patnaik State Police Academy (BPSPA).

Similarly, Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh has been transferred and posted as Rural SP, Cuttack and in his place Puri SP Pinak Mishra has been appointed. 

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It is being discussed that improper management of the Bharatpur incident has had its bearing on Sanjeeb Panda and Prateek Singh.

Similarly, Arun Bothra has been transferred from the post of Additional DG of Police CID CB and appointed as ADGP, Railways and Coastal Security and Anup Kumar Sahoo has been transferred from the post of IG of Police Intelligence and posted as IGP, Training, BPSPA. 

The Mohan Majhi government has appointed two new IPS officers who were sidelined in the previous BJD government. These officers are Arun Kumar Ray and SM Narvane. They have been posted as the DG of Prisons and Director of Printing, Stationary and Publication respectively. Likewise, R.P. Koche has been appointed as the Director, Intelligence. 

“Arun Bothra had courted controversy in the Pari murder case. So, the present government hasn’t put enough faith in him. On the other hand, the government put confidence in some new officers,” said Prasanna Mohanty, a political analyst. 

With the reshuffle, YB Khurania, who joined as the new DGP on August 16, has formed his new team which has so many challenges ahead. Of them, the major one is to put a curb on the crime against women and cyber crimes. 

“Due to the recent incidents, police are on the back foot. It is hoped that the new team will take the police out of it,” said Sarat Sahu, a former police officer.