Odisha DGP Abhay informed that a special team of Odisha police comprising SOG jawans and Malkangiri DVF forces launched a combing operation in Tulasi Forest Range under Mathili police limits today.
The DGP informed that Odisha police went there after receiving intelligence input regarding presence of Maoists in the area.
Following a fierce gun battle, three bodies were recovered along with seizure of weapons from the spot.
After attending a meeting with his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh, Sharma said the meeting laid emphasis on coordination between the two States during operations against the red rebel.
We have decided at the meeting to undertake joint operations in Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border," Sharma said, adding that Odisha police would intensify inteligence-based operations against the Maoists.
Besides, efforts are on to further strengthen the intelligence network in Koraput, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Kalahandi and Rayagada districts where Maoists pose challange to the State government, he added.
He further added that Odisha will coordinate more closely with other states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to come down heavily on the Maoists.
Addressing media persons at a presser at the police headquarters in Cuttack, Sharma said many cases of rape of minor girls were reported in April and this is quite a disturbing trend.
"A directive has been issued to police officials to consider such incidents as ‘Red Flag’ cases and take strict action," stated Sharma.
"It has been found out that in 92.5% of such cases, the accused is either a relative of the survivor or neighbour or an acquaintance belonging to same community or locality. The perpetrators of the crime are known to the survivor,” Sharma stated.
In all the cases reported, the SPs and DCPs have taken prompt action. “The culprits have been arrested within 24 hours of complaint in 70% of such cases,” he added.
Besides, cops have been asked to file charge-sheet in such rape cases within four weeks after the matter is reported.
Yesterday, the DGP had held discussions via video conferencing with all SPs and DCPs about the rising cases of rape of minor girls.
The government has already said that special public prosecutors will be appointed to expedite trial in such rape cases.
Meanwhile, the press conference by the Police DG today sparked a political blame game with the Opposition criticising the ruling BJD of using police as a shield to hide the worsening law and order situation in State.
Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said since the incidences of rapes in Odisha especially some recent cases have attracted attention of national level media, Chief Minister has been worried and so made a statement through the Police DG.
Toeing on similar lines, BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit said that the presser by the DGP is just an attempt by the State Government to hide the poor law and order situation. While women are suffering from all kinds of torture and violence the government has just turned a mute spectator. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is not saying anything so by using the DGP it is trying to show that everything is okay in the State.
On the other hand, the ruling BJD has refuted any such allegations. Party Spokesperson Sameer Das said that discussions on demand for grants will be held in Odisha Assembly on Thursday and the Chief Minister will answer all the issues that the Opposition may be having.
Briefing mediapersons, the DGP said, while six districts- Ganjam, Gajapati, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Jajpur and Dhenkanal - have been deleted from the list, the Home ministry has added Angul and Boudh in it.
Though Maoist violence have been reported from only eight districts last year, the ministry decided to retain 15 districts as LWE hit because of the influence of the rebels in those areas, he added.
The 15 districts which have been identified as LWE-hit are Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Sundergarh, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Deogarh, Klahandi, Nuapada, Bargarh, Bolangir, Angul and Boudh.
Panda was suffering from Pneumonia due to which he was admitted to the hospital few days back.
Dibya Jyoti Panda, son of the ex-DGP, said, "My father's lungs were affected with Pneumonia due to which highest dosages of antibiotics was being administered. Today at around 5.30 pm, he passed away following two cardiac arrests."
The mortal remains of Panda were brought to his residence located in CDA, Cuttack, where senior police officials paid their last respects.
The last rites were performed at Satichaura in Cuttack.
After cracking the civil services exam to become an IPS officer, Panda had started his career as Puri SDPO in 1963.
He was appointed as the DGP of Odisha in 2000 after occupying different posts in the Odisha Police.
Reports said hundreds of activists of Cuttack Nagar BJP and BJP Yuva Morcha led by their leader and former minister Samir De went on a protest rally in the city and gheraoed the DGP office where they had a scuffle with the police.
Talking to media persons, BJP leader Samir De said the district collectors, SPs and other officers have unleashed a reign of terror in Odisha by attacking and killing BJP workers and leaders as per the directive of the “Third Floor”(office of chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat).
“The authoritarian rule of the state administration and police has reached the climax in the ongoing Panchayat polls in Odisha. Zealous of the victory of the BJP, the BJD workers and leaders are attacking our party workers leaders, setting fire in their houses and looting their properties. When complaint against the ruling party is lodged in the police stations, police, instead of arresting the real culprits, are arresting the BJP workers,” De added.
The BJP leader said he along with his party men had come to the DGP office and told him that the police should discharge its duty impartially without being influenced by the ruling BJD failing which BJP will take strong action after coming to power in 2019.
He further claimed that some senior bureaucrats in the Third Floor are perpetrating violence in the state. He also said the ADG (Law and Order) Binayanand Jha, is acting as a BJP worker. “We wanted to meet him. But he did not come out of his room as he has no guts to face us,” he pointed out.
Reacting to the statement of the BJP leader, BJD MP Siddhant Mohapatra said violence in politics should be discouraged. He, however, said one party should not accuse the other party of perpetrating violence. “After all, there is no smoke without fire. Each party should respect people’s mandate. The allegation of the BJP that the BJD is inciting violence will be known only after investigation,” he noted.
To expedite the process, Director General of Police (DGP) KB Singh has asked all district Superintendents of Police (SPs) to select one existing police station of their district, which can be revamped as a model police station under CCTNS, a mission mode project under the National e-Governance plan, said a release by the State Police headquarters here today.
As most of the services provided by the state government in different departments are made available online, the Odisha Police has taken similar initiatives to provide police related services online through the ‘Citizen Portal’.
However, it is found that the initiative for building a robust database has been delayed as usage of Core Application Software (CAS) and utilization of the online services are not up to the mark. Besides, officers in the police stations are not generating Internet Imaging Protocol (IIP) I to XI while using CAS. As a result, services under the Citizen Portal are getting stuck at different Police Stations and Districts.
To overcome all these shortcomings and to ensure total implementation of CCTNS related activities, the DGP has categorically instructed all SPs to select one existing police Station in their district as model police station, the release added.
CCTNS is the flagship IT project of the Indian Police integrating all critical components that aims to take police services to the next level. It intends to create a national database and a citizen centric portal for interface with the citizens.
“Maoists activity in Odisha particularly in Kalahandi, Nuapada, Nabarangpur and Balangir districts is negligible due to constant monitoring, surveillance and combing operation by the police. Police is keeping tabs on the handful of ultras who are active in these areas. As far as I know, the Maoists have no support among local people in these districts,” Singh told media persons after conducting a review meeting on the Maoist situation in these four districts during his one-day visit to Kalahandi district.
Justifying his contention, the DGP said while 85 percent of Maoists are active in the neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, while only 15 percent of them are presently active in Odisha.
The state police has deployed CRPF and SOG personnel with additional deployment of SOG personnel to effectively counter the left wing menace in these four districts, he said.
“To flush out the Red Rebels from these areas, regular combing operations are underway while the intelligence network has been broadened to monitor their activities,” he added.
The DGP also said the priority of the police is to further strengthen its security network and to step up operations against the Maoists to safeguard the lives of the people. “Apart from this, efforts are on for development in these areas,” he observed.
To a question on the arrest of former Congress MLA of Sanakhemundi, Ramesh Jena, Singh told the media persons not to mix up crime with politics.
The meeting was attended by Sunil Roy, Director-cum-ADG, Intelligence, Arun Sarangi, Special Director and ADG, Intelligence, Santosh Upadhyay, ADG, OHRC, DS Kutey, IGP, Intelligence and Superintendents of Police of Kalahandi, Nuapada, Nabaranpur and Balangir.
Replying to a question on the action of the State Police against the Dhalasamant brothers, he said apart from the criminals, the target is now on those, especially the bailers, who are giving shelters these anti-socials and taking them on bail.
“There are some professional bailers who are used to take these criminals on bail. We were not concentrating on these aspects earlier but not this time,” he maintained.
The DGP also said the focus of the State Police would be on the proceeds of money of these criminals. “We are also making efforts to confiscate their money they have earned through criminal activities,” he added.
He, however, refused to say anything about the SIMI operatives, which, he said would affect the investigation.
Informing this to the media on Monday, Director General of Police (DGP) KB Singh said while more than 1500 posts of sub inspectors are lying vacant in the state, promotion of these ASIs to the rank of SI will be of great help.
He further said to make the SIs more capable, there has been some change in the duration of their training.
“Initially, the training duration of the SIs was four months. But now it has been extended to six months. During the extended period of training, the SI would undergo training on computer, scientific investigation and framing of charge sheet with the help of government advocates,” Singh said.
He also said the timeline of promotion of ASIs to the rank of SI has been relaxed from 10 years to four years.
Besides, the DGP also informed that the promotion of deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) to the rank of additional superintendents of police (ASP) would be made very soon.
Notably, the Central Selection Board of the State Police had given a green signal for the promotion of ASIs to the rank of SI on February 23 this year.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the recommendation for post of DGP by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and preparation of the panel should be purely on the basis of merit.
The apex court passed the verdict on a modification plea filed by former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh.
Singh had alleged that the July 3, 2018, directive was being misused by state governments who were ignoring competent senior officers for appointment as DGPs.
The court had in July last year passed a slew of directions on police reforms and restrained all states and Union territories from appointing any police officer as acting DGPs to avoid favouritism and nepotism in such high-level appointments.
The Tamil Nadu government appointed Tripathy in place of T.K. Rajendran. Tripathy, a 1985 batch IAS officer, had completed his education at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Tripathy currently holds the post of Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board and was also the Chennai City Police Commissioner. He will hold the office as Tamil Nadu DGP for a fixed tenure of two years i.e till 2021.
Tamil Nadu government today also appointed K. Shanmugam, as Chief Secretary. Shanmugam is presently working as Additional Chief Secretary in Finance Department. He will replace incumbent Girija Vaidyanthan who retires on June 30.
Taking over as the Head of Police Force in Odisha from the outgoing DGP RP Sharma at the State Police headquarters, the 1986-batch IPS officer said, “Police should play a major role in prevention as well as detection of crimes in a transparent manner so that it will help people trust police more. In this regard, my top priority would be ensure that police officials, be it a simple constable or a home guard, has access to modern technolgies, as it will help better crime fighting."
Stressing on improving the relationship between public and police, Sharma said, “If police fail to work efficiently and fail in crime detection, distress among public is evident. Therefore, the police department has to increase its efficiency.”
“The functioning of police stations should improve so that anyone who reaches police station for any grievance redressal are immediately helped by the cops because it will make the police more transparent and responsive to the people," the IPS officer said.
“There are many officers in Odisha Police right from SP level to DIG to other senior officers who are honest and hardworking. Efforts will be made to harness their positive energies to motivate other personnel for good performance,” stated Sharma
Sharma who is currently the chief of Fire Services, Home Guards and Civil Defence assumed the full additional charge as the Director General of Police today.
His appointment comes shortly after Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal approved the appointment of the outgoing DGP RP Sharma as a non-judicial member of the State Lokayukta on Tuesday.
Sharma, a 1986-batch IPS officer had officiated as DGP In-charge during the recent general elections in the State when the then DGP RP Sharma had to take leave following the demise of his wife.
Prior to his current postings as Director General of Fire Services and Commandant General (home guards) and Director of Civil Defence, Sharma was appointed Director General (Prisons) and was also posted as Special DGP Crime Branch (CID).
Sharma is among the few senior IPS officers from the 1986 or 1987 batch Odisha cadre who are frontrunners to take charge as the full time DGP of the State.
As per the new Supreme Court guidelines, the State has to send a list of IPS officers for consideration to the Union Public Service Commission. The selection panel will shortlist three names from the list and the State government has to pick one of them as the DGP.