Odisha Govt removes BK Sharma as DGP, appoints Abhay in his place

The Odisha Government on Wednesday night removed BK Sharma as the Director-General of Police (DGP) barely three months after he took over. The government also ordered a probe against him for alleged non-compliance off government instructions relating to fire safety clearances. Abhay Sharma, a 1986-batch IPS officer, is appointed as the new police chief, a notification issued by the Home Department said.

The action came barely minutes after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik constituted a three-member committee, headed by the chief secretary, to probe the allegations against Sharma, who was also in-charge of Fire Service and Home Guard.

"On the recommendation of the Union Public Service Commission and in the interest of public service, Abhay, IPS, 1986 batch, at present working as the director of SVPNPA, Hyderabad, on central deputation, is appointed as Director General of Police (Head of Police Force), Odisha," the notification said.

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Senior IPS officer Satyajit Mohanty of the 1988 batch, has been posted as the Director, Intelligence, and will remain in-charge of DGP till Abhay joins, it said. Another senior IPS officer, Sunil Ray (1987-batch), has been posted as the new director of Fire Service and Home Guard. The new police chief Abhay is on central deputation and in the past has severed DG Narcotics Control Bureau and also as an additional DG with CRPF. He was also a part of the CBI.

BK Sharma has now been posted as an officer on special duty in the Home Department. The notification also said that there is a large pendency of applications for issuance of the fire safety recommendations and certificates in the Directorate of Fire Services.

"This has caused immense inconvenience not only to the general public but also to business, industry, educational and medical establishments," the Home Department said.

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Three-member inquiry committee

A three-member inquiry committee comprising chief secretary Adsit Tripathy, development commissioner Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and home secretary Sanjeev Chopra will conduct the probe against Sharma, a home department order said. The committee will inquire into the matter relating to non-compliance of government instructions by the Directorate of Fire Service and circumstances under which applications for the fire safety recommendations and certificates have been kept pending for long period, the order said.

After his removal, BK Sharma has been posted as an officer on special duty in the home department. Sharma has taken over as DG in August replacing Rajendra Prasad Sharma after he took voluntary retirement and joined as a member of Odisha Lokayukta.

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(With PTI inputs)