"We will ensure proper execution of anti-Maoist operation. Hopefully, the good work of Odisha Police will continue in the future as well," said Singh.
Singh, who is the DIG of the Southern Region took additional charge as the DIG of South Western Range today and held a meeting with the SPs (Superintendent of police) today.
Security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada yesterday had seized booklets from Maoist camps with instructions on planting remote-controlled IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) to target jawans patrolling especially on motorcycles.
According to sources, Maoists are planning to target security forces in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. However, senior police officials have said that using remote-controlled IEDs to execute blasts is not a new strategy adopted by the left-wing extremists.
The accused identified as Md Zahin Khan was operating an illegal arms racket in the city since long, informed sources.
Addressing a presser, Northern Range DIG, Satyabrata Bhoi informed that the firearms were seized after a raid at a house in Kalepada area by a special police team.
It is suspected that Khan used to procure firearms from outside Odisha and supply them to various anti-socials and criminal gangs operating in Sambalpur and nearby areas.
The accused is involved in several other criminal cases pending at various police stations and efforts are on to ascertain from where he used to procure the weapons, said Bhoi.
"The arms dealer was arrested after a raid that was conducted based on intelligence input," he added.
Current Bhubaneswar DCP, Satyabrata Bhoi & Ganjam SP Ashish Singh have been promoted to DIG rank with effect from January 1, 2018. Similarly, IPS officers Deepak Kumar and Nitinjeet Singh have also been promoted to the DIG rank, read a notification of the government.
Moreover, two other IPS officers have also been promoted to the rank of IG.
To review the ground situation, a three-member team of senior police officials led by South-Western DIG S Saini, Koraput SP Charan Singh Meena and a senior IPS officer arrived in Narayanpatna block in a helicopter this morning. The team later went to the BSF camp and discussed the Maoist situation in the area with senior BSF officials and the local police.
The team later went to Narayanpatna block office and discussed with the BDO Hemant Kumar Adhikari, who has been appointed as the block polling officer.
Briefing media persons later, Saini said arrangements have been made to provide adequate security to polling officials with deployment of additional police force in Narayanpatna.
“We have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure free and fair polls in Narayanpatna block. Out of 115 polling booths, nine have been identified as sensitive and 86 as hypersensitive. To ward off any untoward incident, a quick action team (QAT) would be stationed in the area and if necessary, a helicopter would also be engaged for aerial survey to track the movement of the left wing extremists,” she added.
The DIG further said 30 teams of the BSF have intensified combing operations in Narayanpatna area to foil any subversive activities of the Maoists during the polling.
The crowned winners were felicitated by Tourism and Culture minister Ashok Panda and other dignitaries.
Jhuma Khatun and Man Singh were the winners in female and male category respectively in 21.1 km half marathon and were awarded Rs 100,000 each. Besides, awards worth Rs 9,14,000 (excluding applicable taxes) were given to winners in different categories in presence of Vishal Dev, secretary, Sports and Youth Services, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani, Priyadarshi Mishra, MLA, Bhubaneswar (North), Bijaya Mohanty, MLA Bhubaneswar (Central).
Ollywood stars Sabyasachi Mishra, Archita Sahu and sports persons Anuradha Biswal and Sradhanjali Samantray were present.
The Kalinga stadium wore a festive look as thousands, clad in white and blue t-shirts, including senior government officers, corporate executives, students from various institutions and schools ran in different categories while the crowd cheered for them.
The Marathon covered a distance of 21.1 km on a revised route on the flyovers starting from Kalinga stadium and moving on to the National Highway through Jaydev Vihar past Khandagiri Square and returning via the same route, finally terminating at Kalinga Stadium. Tata Steel provided 5 ambulances and several water dispensing posts along the route to ensure the safety and comfort of all the runners. The Commissionerate of Police played a significant role in traffic management.
The half-marathon (21.1km) was flagged off at Kalinga Stadium in presence of Vishal Dev, TN Khuntia, DIG, CRPF Group Centre Bhubaneswar, Sunil Bhaskaran, Vice President, Corporate Services , Tata Steel; Arun Misra, Vice President, Project Gopalpur & MD, Tata Steel SEZ.
State-of-the-art technology consisting of timing mats and its control units, radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, split timing mats on route, tracking camera, wi-fi network on route as per international standard were used to ensure a world standard conduct of the half marathon.
All participants were given branded T shirts for participating in the race. The Kalinga stadium wore a festive with Tata Steel providing several on field entertainment with a live band and participation of Ollywood stars Sabyasachi Mishra and Archita Sahoo. A large electronic LED screen to post a ‘selfie’ with a personal message sling shot to the screen was a major attraction.
Addressing participants, Dev said, “I thank Tata Steel for initiating such a large-scale sports event, which brought together people from all across Bhubaneswar and outside for their love of running and sports. I look forward to many such grand sporting events.”
Speaking on the occasion Bhaskaran said, “Our aim is to make this one of the major running events in India and to see that over the years Bhubaneswar finds its spot among distance running in the country. Tata Steel is proud to bring this special sporting event in association with the State Sports and Youth Services department.”
Angul SP Kabita Jalan, Sundargarh SP Nikhil Kumar Kanodia, Himansu Lal and Shefeen Ahamed K were promoted to the DIG rank. At present, Lal and Ahamed K are on Central deputation.
IPS Deepak Kumar, Ashish Kumar Singh, Nitinjeet Singh and Satyabrata Bhoi were promoted to Selection Grade.
However, suspended IPS Satish Gajbhiye did not get any promotion.
Also read: State effects major reshuffle in IPS cadre
Dayanidhi Gochhayat, who is working as Vigilance SP currently, was appointed as Kendrapara SP as IPS Nitinjeet Singh is being sent on a Central deputation.
Talking to media persons today, DIG Pratik Mohanty said the Bargarh police had registered a complaint by the bank authorities on September 20. Acting on the complaint, a special team formed by the Bargarh SP Jugal Kishore had carried out investigation and interrogated a number of suspects.
“In course of investigation, police had kept a watch on Susant Bagarti, a former employee of a water pouch factory which is situated near the bank. Since Susant was arrested earlier for a theft case, police brought him for interrogation and he admitted to have committed the burglary. On the basis of his statement, police later arrested his brother Rupa Bagarti, sister Banita Bagarti, mother Bishu Bagarti and his neighbour Mamata Mahananda for assisting him in the burglary. All the accused, who belong to Mastaratikra under Bargarh Municipality, were arrested from Padhanpalli area”, Mohanty informed.
He further said the police seized cash worth Rs 35,72,910, 2386.08 grams of gold jewellery, a TVS Jupiter Scooter and a HTC mobile phone from the possession of the accused.
Asked whether the accused were able to burgle the bank due to lack of security, Mohanty said there is a security compendium and guidelines for the banks. “In this case, there is a violation of the guidelines. Investigation is on to identify the liability of the concerned bank official. We are presently examining the administrative and criminal liability in connection with the burglary”, he added.
Talking about the lack of security measures, the DIG said the police, while interrogating Susant, the prime accused, came to know that after entering into the bank office by breaking open the window grill, he opened the locker room with the help of the keys which was inside the bank. “Another lapse was that the bank officials did not follow double lock system. Besides, the CCTV was unplugged. Last but not the least, the siren of the bank was deactivated as the bank officials was busy in shifting the bank’s branch to other part of the town”, he pointed out.
The condition of the Jail Superintendent, Brahmananda Sahu, who was initially admitted in the Sadar Hospital and was later shifted to VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla, is stated to be critical.
According to reports, Sahu was on the way to his house after conducting a surprise inspection in the jail when two miscreants stabbed him in a dark place and fled the area.
Following information, police rushed to the spot and admitted him in the Sadar Hospital from where he was shifted to VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla after his condition deteriorated.
“I was urinating on the road side when two miscreants came from behind and snatched my mobile phone. Later they asked me to give money. When I refused, one of them stabbed me from behind. Soon after the incident, they fled the area,” Sahu told media persons at the Sadar Hospital.
He said he had never received any threat call previously.
Following the incident, DIG, Prisons, Niranjan Jena rushed to the hospital for detailed information.
Meanwhile, police has launched a manhunt to track down the two miscreants. But no one had been arrested till reports last came in.
Though 12 days have already passed since the incident took place, no one has been arrested so far, RTI activist Sunil Kumar Rath pointed out while praying to the court to urgently intervene in the matter and order a CBI probe into the incident.
The petitioner also prayed to the court to direct the state government to provide adequate compensation to the family members of the deceased and a government job to one member of each family.
The PIL has made the CBI, state Home secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), DIG, Southern Range and Kandhamal SP as parties in the case.
The vacancy rate in 2019 is hovering at around 38 per cent of the sanctioned cadre strength for the State. Odisha has around 71 vacancies now vis-a-vis the total sanctioned cadre strength of 188 IPS posts. No state in the country, including Maoist or terrorist affected states, display such a high rate.
What looks scary is the situation is going to worsen by 2020, because, the present in-position IPS strength would shrink to below 100 by then from 109 now. The reason: Around 9 more retirements are due by 2020, informed a highly placed source in the State home department.
The scenario has turned acute not because the direct IPS recruit size in Odisha over the years has fallen, but for non-filing of the promotion quota to IPS cadre from the State police services. The promotion-quota vacancies have grown over the years. The vacancies now are 57 vis-a-vis of 48 in 2010. And the reason: Non-availability of appropriate officers at the DSP level in Odisha for graduating to IPS cadre.
Why the situation has come to such a pass? The answer is not far to seek. An inspector-level official after rising to DSP level via promotion have to fulfill the condition of a minimum 8-yr long stint at DSP level in order to qualify to the IPS cadre. However, what was witnessed is by then he/she is well past the maximum age-limit of 54 years - the age bar to become eligible for promotion to IPS level.
What's the way out? Odisha Government could tide over the enormity by transferring its promotion quota to the Centre for making direct recruits, and when State would become capable to bring in its promotion-quota, it could re-align the cadre vacancies then, explained a senior official.
What is the fallout of the IPS vacancy on law and order machinery? State government has brought in ‘ex-cadre’ or SDR (State Deputation Reserve) postings to such cutting-edge level posts, which play vital role in crime volume control, direction and supervision in State.
It is well known that an officer on deputation could bend to any extent when the powers-that-be wish so, observed a senior Home Department official. He informed that against the authorised strength of SDR totalling over 21, the in-position men stood at around 30 now. Moreover, when the norm is SDR men can hold the office for only 2-years only, some are still enjoying their postings beyond the prescribed time-period.
On Thursday, Kangana reacted to a news piece about the building crash in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi town that killed 40 people.
Kangana tweeted from her verified account in Hindi addressing Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.
उद्धव ठाकरे, संजय राउत @mybmc जब मेरा घर ग़ैर क़ानूनी तरीक़े से तोड़ रहे थे, उस वक्त उतना ध्यान इस बिल्डिंग पे दिया होता तो आज यह लगभग पचास लोग जीवित होते, इतने जवान तो पुलवामा में पाकिस्तान में नहीं मरवाए जितने मासूमों को आपकी लापरवाही मार गयी, भगवान जाने क्या होगा मुंबई का 🙏 https://t.co/BBkj8APfnu
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 24, 2020
"Uddhav Thackeray, Sanjay Raut when @myBMC was breaking my house in an unlawful manner, had you paid attention to this building at that time then at least these 50 people approximately would have been alive today. So many jawans have not been martyred in Pulwama by Pakistan as many innocent lives lost due to your negligence. God knows what will happen to Mumbai," her tweet reads.
Earlier this month, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished parts of Kangana's office in Bandra citing illegal construction. The demolition drive was stopped after a High Court stay order. Kangana subsequently tweeted photographs of her demolished office building, calling it a "rape" of her "dreams, confidence, self-respect and future".
(IANS)