BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Government on Friday appointed senior IPS officer Sanjeeb Panda as the new Director of Intelligence while Arun Bothra was posted as chief of the Criminal Investigation Department-Crime Branch (CID-CB) of the State Police.
Panda, a 1994 batch officer, will have additional charge of Odisha State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation. The 1996 batch officer Bothra will hold the additional charge of Transport Commissioner. Both are Additional DG rank officers.
The post of Director, Intelligence was vacant after IPS officer Lalit Das was transferred to Home Department as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) on April 11.
Effecting a major reshuffle at the IPS level, the Government appointed 1988 batch officer Manoj Kumar Chhabra as Director General of Prisons and Director, Correctional Services. Chhabra was serving as Special DGP Special Armed Police. His 1988 batchmate Santosh Kumar Upadhyay, who headed the Directorate of Prisons has been posted as Director General of Fire Services and Commandant General (home guards) and Director of Civil Defence.
Similarly, Satish Gajbhiye, a 2002 batch officer, has been appointed as IG Communication. In February, the Government gave a double promotion to Gajbhiye to the rank of Inspector General of Police after disciplinary proceedings against him were dropped following a Supreme Court order.
Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Umashankar Dash who was promoted to DIG rank recently has been posted as Additional CP of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissionerate while Additional CP Niti Shekhar was transferred as DIG Western Range.
Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh has now been appointed as the new DCP of Bhubaneswar. Berhampur SP Pinak Mishra will replace him as Cuttack DCP. Traffic DCP S Susree has been appointed as Nabarangpur SP.
IG Fire Services and Home Guards, Shefeen Ahamed K has been transferred and posted as IG Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC).
Apart from 16 transfers in the IPS level, OPS Alekha Pahi has been transferred from Khurda and posted as Nayagarh SP.