Bhubaneswar, June 7: The Odisha Police Crime Branch has initiated an official inquiry into serious allegations that a senior IPS officer illegally engaged a deceased Government Railway Police (GRP) constable for domestic household work.
In an official letter dated May 26, which has come public fore today, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), CID-CB, had directed the Additional Director General of Police (Railway & Coastal Security) to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter and submit a report by May 30, 2026.
The development came after one Bhajaman Biswal moved the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) alleging that senior ADG-ranked IPS officer Dayal Gangwar engaged GRP constable Soumyaranjan Swain, who was beaten to death by a mob on May 7 in Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, for his domestic household work beyond official engagements.
Meanwhile, Gangwar was grilled by the NHRC probe team in connection with the lynching case, in which GRP constable Soumya was killed.
The State Government has transferred Gangwar, who was serving as the ADG (Communications) and attached him as Officer on Special Duty in the Home Department. It was alleged that Gangwar, during his tenure as the Railway ADG, has engaged several GRP constables, including Soumya for domestic household work. Though he was transferred as the ADG (Railway), he did not allow Soumya and others to return to their original place of posting.
The senior IPS officer was drawn into the controversy after Swain’s parents alleged that their son had been subjected to mental torture by Gangwar and forced to perform personal work unrelated to official duties. They alleged that Swain was made to look after Gangwar’s gymnasium centre and suffered severe mental stress.
The family claims that Soumya was the victim of a well-planned conspiracy.
The NHRC took cognisance of the matter and launched an inquiry.
During the five-day long investigation last week, the two-member probe panel of the Commission met several people, including Soumya’s parents, relatives, girlfriend and the ambulance driver and the two girls who had levelled allegations of sexual assault against the 32-year-old constable.
According to the allegations, deceased Soumya and his friend Om Prakash were riding a motorcycle when it collided with a scooty carrying the girls near Ramchandrapur under Balianta police station on May 7. An argument allegedly followed, after which Soumya misbehaved with them and attempted to sexually assault them. When they raised an alarm, locals rushed to the spot and attacked the duo.
