With just four days left for the appointment of a new Director General of Police following the retirement of incumbent DGP Y. B. Khurania, the race for the top policing post in Odisha has never been more controversial.
A public interest litigation seeking adherence to Apex Court laid down procedure in Prakash Singh versus Union Government case on appointment of DGP by the State Government from amongst a panel of three senior-most officers prepared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is already pending in Supreme Court.
It is alleged that the BJP government was trying to bring in an officer from outside the bracket of three senior most IPS officers for the top post. Similarly, in what it seems as shadow fight to favour IPS officers of their choice for the top post, activists have jumped in to filing PIL and sending petitions to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Present Odisha DGP, Mr. Khurania, a 1990 batch IPS officer, was appointed as the Head of Police Force of Odisha, on August 16, 2024. After completion of two years, he would demit office on August 16, 2026.
The process of DGP appointment should have been started months before retirement of outgoing DGP. As per Supreme Court’s laid down procedure, the Mohan Majhi Government had sent names of three senior most officers including Sudhanshu Sarangi (1990 batch), Susanta Kumar Nath (1993) and R.P. Koche, (1993) for consideration UPSC.
Before the Commission could take a call on the three names, the State government expanded the list of officers for consideration of UPSC from three to 11 by including eight senior IPS officers from 1994 batch to 1996.
The State government on Monday (August 10, 2026) promoted two 1994-batch officers Sanjeeb Kumar Panda and Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa to the grade of DG of Police. If the list of original three names recommended to UPSC is altered, Mr. Panda and Mr. Jethwa would automatically come into contention.
Senior lawyer and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram has already appeared in PIL arguing that Odisha government violated the Prakash Singh judgment on appointment of DGP. In petition addressed to Mr. Shah, some activists have highlighted controversies surrounding a senior IPS officer who may be considered for the DGP post.
Published – August 13, 2026 06:15 am IST
