
The Odisha government has given Crime Branch and CID chief Vinaytosh Mishra additional charge as director general of police from August 16, when incumbent Y.B. Khurania retires. He will hold the post…
The Odisha government has given Crime Branch and CID chief Vinaytosh Mishra additional charge as director general of police from August 16, when incumbent Y.B. Khurania retires. He will hold the post until further orders. The move comes as the Supreme Court has paused the Union Public Service Commission’s process for selecting Odisha’s next police chief until August 18.

A public interest litigation alleges that the state tried to include an officer outside the original list of three senior eligible candidates, contrary to the procedure set in the Prakash Singh judgment. The government says an interim arrangement is needed after Khurania’s retirement. The New Indian Express reports that Mishra was not in contention because he did not meet the six-month minimum residual service requirement.
The easy narratives are that the government has either found a routine stopgap or attempted a guaranteed backdoor appointment. Neither claim is established by the interim order. Mishra’s temporary charge keeps the force headed while the court examines whether the selection process followed its rules. The real test is the Supreme Court’s August 18 hearing and whether the final panel contains only officers meeting the stated eligibility criteria.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.