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Odisha govt initiates action against 2 senior IPS officers for alleged poll misconduct
In power corridors, the suspended IPS officers were seen as eyes and ears of Pandian, then most powerful officer in the state bureaucracy.
More than two and half months after the Election Commission of India suspended senior Odisha cadre IPS DS Kutey over interfering in the election process and recommended action against another IPS officer Ashish Kumar Singh over similar allegations, the Odisha home department has initiated action against the two officers for gross misconduct.
Dhirendra Sambhaji Kutey, a 1997-batch IPS officer of Odisha cadre and deemed close to IAS officer-turned-politician VK Pandian, former chief minister Naveen Patnaik's closest aide was suspended by Election Commission on May 28 this year for unduly interfering in the conduct of the simultaneous elections to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha. The ECI initially fixed the headquarters of Kutey, then a special secretary to CM, in the Office of Odisha Resident Commissioner in New Delhi before revoking his suspension last month following which he was posted as officer on special duty in home department.
On May 28, another officer Ashis Singh, a 2010-batch IPS who worked as Inspector General of police (CM security) and close to Pandian, was asked to present himself for detailed medical examination by a special medical board constituted by director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar over allegations that he was helping BJD in election even though he was on official leave. After the BJP government took charge, Singh was posted as officer on special duty like Kutey.
The OSD position, despite its interesting name, is essentially a punishment posting by the government handed out to the officials who don’t enjoy its faith and trust. As many as five IPS officers including Kutey and Singh have now been placed as OSD in the home department where they just have to mark their attendance, but get no official work. In power corridors, Kutey and Singh were seen as eyes and ears of Pandian, then most powerful officer in the state bureaucracy.
People familiar with the official action against the two officers said both have been showcaused by the home department as to why action should not be taken against them under All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968 over gross misconduct and behaviour unbecoming of an officer of all India cadre. HT has reviewed the memorandum of charges served to the two officers.
The home department in its memorandum of charges against Kutey aid he had unduly interfered in the conduct of election during simultaneous General Election-2024. "As per the instructions of ECI, there is a State Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) functioning under the Chairmanship of additional CEO. This Committee had approved a newspaper advertisement of a political party for publication during the silence period (day of poll and the previous day). Kutey had repeatedly called the Addl. CEO and Chairman of the MCMC on 24/05/2024 late evening and expressed his displeasure over approval of the advertisement. He also asked him to withdraw the approval immediately, so that the advertisement could not get published in the newspapers on May 25," the memorandum of charges said.
The memorandum further said Kutey had asked Chanchal Rana, District Election Officer and Collector, Khurdha and the police officers to get a contesting candidate arrested on the day of poll on May 25.
"As per the job profile of DS Kutey, as Special Secretary to Chief Minister, he had no reason to interfere with the work of election-related officials during Simultaneous General Election-2024, particularly when the Model Code of Conduct issued by the ECI was in force.
Thus, Dhirendra Sambhaji Kutey had unduly interfered in the conduct of election during Simultaneous General Election-2024. It is certainly an act of undue interference in the election process by misuse of his power and position and the conduct amounts to gross misconduct which is unbecoming of a member of the All India Service and violates Rule 3 and Rule-5 (4) of AIS (Conduct) Rules, 1968," the statement of charges said.
The home department in its statement of charges said as per Rule-18 of the A.I.S. Conduct Rules, 1968, no government servant would bring or attempt to bring any political or outside influence to bear upon any superior authority to further his interest in respect of matters pertaining to his service under government.
On Ashish Singh, the home department memorandum of charges said during the period of his incumbency as I.G of Police(CM's Security), he had submitted an application for one month leave on medical ground from May 4 and he was allowed to avail leave. Following allegations over he helping BJD during his official leave, the ECI on May 28 asked him to be present himself for detailed medical examination by a Special Medical Board constituted by the Executive Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The AIIMS Medical Board which examined Singh on May 30, said he was found to be physically and mentally fit and "detailed clinical evaluation and relevant investigations did not reveal any significant abnormalities". The ECI secretary in June this year in its communication to Odisha CEO Singh leave was a case of misrepresentation of facts.
The home department in its statement of charges said Singh's action violated Rule 3 of All India Service Rules and was unbecoming of an officer of all India services.
Both officials have been asked to submit their defence within 30 days of receipt of the statement of charges.
