Bhubaneswar, August 12: The Odisha Police on Wednesday felicitated 66 police officers and government lawyers for their notable contributions to investigation, prosecution and securing convictions in sensitive and significant criminal cases.

The felicitation ceremony, organised by the Crime Branch at Police Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, was attended by Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania as the chief guest. Certificates of appreciation were presented to personnel and government counsel who played key roles in successful prosecutions.

Among those honoured were 24 investigating officers, 11 supervising officers, 23 government lawyers, and eight Superintendents of Police (SPs).

The awardees included IGP (Home Guards and Fire Services) Uma Shankar Dash, former Jharsuguda SP Smith P. Parmar, Koraput SP Rohit Barma, former Kandhamal SPs Harish B.C. and Shubhendu Kumar Patra, Keonjhar SP Nitin Kushalkar, Brahmapur SP Saravana Vivek M., Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamu and former Baliguda SDPO Rahul Goel.

Supervising officers, government counsel and investigating officers from several districts were also recognised for their role in ensuring effective prosecution and convictions in criminal cases.

Addressing the gathering, DGP Khurania said the new criminal laws, which came into effect on July 1, 2024, have made the criminal justice system more victim-centric and forensic-based while prescribing timelines for completing legal proceedings.

He stressed that effective coordination between investigating officers and government lawyers has been instrumental in improving the conviction rate. From crime scene investigation to final arguments in court, coordinated efforts between the police and prosecution have contributed to better outcomes in criminal cases, he said.

The ceremony was attended by DGP (Crime Branch) Vinaytosh Mishra, ADGP (Headquarters) Pratik Mohanty, DIG (STF) Kanwar Vishal Singh, DIG (Crime Branch) Batula Gangadhar, DIG (Crime Branch) Madkar Sandeep Sampat, SP (Crime Branch) Vivekananda Sharma and other senior police officers.