By Sanjeev Kumar Patro
Bhubaneswar: The wholesale reshuffle effected in Odisha police on Sunday was on the offing since August 16 – the day new DGP of Odisha YB Khurania took the baton from Arun Kumar Srangi. The new DGP took a month’s time to shuffle his cards well so as to gain control over the reins of policing in the State.
Khurania was on central deputation since July 2021. After repatriated to Odisha cadre by Modi government, soon after the BJP formed government in the State, he was appointed as the new DGP on August 16. Between 2021 and 2024, the policing apparatus in Odisha had undergone many changes. And going by the conventional police operations, a new DGP will soon place men of his choice on critical policing jobs to bring a turnaround in policing.
The recent policing glitches are galore.
- Women crime went unabated in August and September
- Gangrape allegations have come from places like Dhenkanal, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Balasore, Rourkela and Nabarangpur.
- On Sept 18, in Nabrangpur, a 10-yr old tribal girl was gang raped and murdered.
- Besides above, cases of murder have been to fore in districts like Puri
- The Bhadrak unrest
- Day light robbery near CM’s house
In order to give a cohesive look to the police team under him, DGP YB Khurania appointed new men on the critical jobs like ADGP CB-CID, Intelligence, police Commissioner, new SPs appointed in 22 districts that have high historically high crime rate and are also vulnerable to naxal violence.
Post shake-up, for the top honchos of police, it’s GET, SET and GO moment. Now, all eyes are on how swift turnaround Khurania and his team will be bringing in policing imperatives.
Here is a look at the new captains of DGP YB Khurania.
SURESH DEV DUTTA SINGH
The 1998 batch IPS officer is the new Police Commissioner of the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Holding a doctorate degree in Human rights and police, he is an ADGP rank official and was in charge of Police Operations. Born in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, S Dev Dutta Singh had completed central deputation successfully, when he was the IG CISF.
Though first posted in Berhampur, his career took off as SDPO Baliguda (Kandhamal distric) when there was a conflict scenario between tribals and non-tribals (prior to Kandhamal riots). In his long career, Singh was at the helm as SP in the then naxal hotbed districts Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj and coastal districts like Ganjam and Berhampur, western district like Sambalpur.
As a police commissioner, Singh has different task at hand – urban policing. Urban policing has its own perils like high floating population, affluent’s crime indulgence. Therefore, it’s a new challenge.
In police circles, he is known as not a straight-faced cop. Singh has an amiable outlook but has the tough operational prowess. Though Singh is adept in police operations, the Twin City Commissioner of Police will be challenging job for him.
The twin city demands quality urban policing. Singh has a task at hand –from controlling the organised criminal gang activities, online crime to reining in the street crimes like robbery, chain snatching, burglary etc. Above all, the police have to ensure the twin city safer for women, especially after the Bharatpur PS howler.
The challenge before Singh lies in how well he utilise his operational intelligence to bust the newer crime modules in the twin city – from organised gangs to street crime offenders.
It seems DGP Khurania has tasked Singh with Commissioner role, given his background of having a doctorate in Human Rights and Police, which is very providential in urban policing.
VINAYTOSH MISHRA
This 1993 batch IPS officer from Madhubani, Bihar has been put at the helm of CB-CID – the top crime investigation and detection branch of the State police.
In order to make Odisha police investigation and crime detection more scientific, the mandate on Mishra is to employ latest advances in Science and technology in the field of investigation, upgrade investigative skills of State police officers, put up an effective criminal records and intelligence system to ensure integrity and impartiality in the investigation.
WHY KHURANIA APPOINTED MISHRA?
It seems new DGP Khurania has picked Mishra for this critical job, given his work in putting up online case registration and tracking system under ICJS (Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System). Ministry of Home Affairs have awarded Odisha first prize in the country in 2020. Moreover, as ADG-cum-Director of SCRB, Mishra had played a crucial role in employing the CCTNS.
He is known in police circles as a very tech savvy officer.
RP KOCHE
Another critical pillar of Odisha police department is intelligence. The new DGP has appointed 1993 batch Odisha cadre IPS officer Raosheb Punjabrao Koche from Amravati, Maharashtra. Holding a post graduate in International Relations, the task before RP Koche is to gather intelligence via robust networks. The Bhadrak unrest bares the chinks in the police armoury. Koche has his hands full.
Besides serving SPs in many naxal infested districts, Koche had held positions of IG Northern Range that encompasses districts of mostly western Odisha like Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur and Jharsuguda. During his tenure as IG Central range, Koche conducted an enquiry into the conduct of the then Kendrapada SP Satish Gajbhaye post the outburst over fake godman Sarathi Baba aka Santosh Raulo and police excesses.
However, this senior IPS has hit the controversy space when CBI questioned him, along with other IPS officers like Sanjib panda, after their name cropped up in Subhankar’s diary on Seashore chit fund scam.
