Cuttack: Odisha Police have registered a criminal case against Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Sushant Kumar Nath, a senior 1993-batch IPS officer of the Odisha cadre, following a complaint by former Choudwar Circle Jailor Santoshini Dash. She has alleged sexual harassment, criminal intimidation and administrative retaliation after refusing invitations to meet him privately.
Dash submitted a written complaint at Choudwar Police Station on October 31, 2026. Based on her complaint, police registered Choudwar Police Station Case No. 713 under Sections 75(2), 351(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Inspector Bikash Sethi, the Inspector-in-Charge of Choudwar Police Station, has been assigned to investigate the case.
The allegations against Nath and another person named in the complaint are yet to be established. Police investigation is currently underway.
Former Jailor Alleges Private Meeting Invitations
According to Dash’s complaint, the alleged incidents began following a jail inspection in mid-2025.
She alleged that Kuldeep Ratha, who was introduced to her as an associate or friend of DGP Sushant Kumar Nath, obtained her mobile number and subsequently sent her messages containing suggestive emojis.
Ratha allegedly invited Dash to dinner on two occasions. The first invitation was reportedly for a restaurant named Blast on August 29, 2025, while the second was for Hotel Pramod on September 25/26, 2025.
According to her complaint, Ratha told her on both occasions that the DGP wanted to meet her privately.
Dash alleged that she declined the invitations and made it clear that she would meet her superior officer only in an official office setting.
Read also: SC Puts Odisha on the Spot: Did Govt Know of CBI Case When Nath’s Name Was Sent for DGP Post?
Santoshini Dash Alleges Administrative Retaliation After Refusing Invitations
The former jailor has alleged that several adverse administrative actions followed her refusal to attend the private meetings.
According to her complaint, these actions included:
- Her suspension on February 19, 2026.
- Stoppage of her salary and subsistence allowance.
- Initiation of five departmental proceedings against her.
Dash further alleged that during meetings held on September 7 and 8, 2026, Nath told her, “If you had come to meet me, you wouldn’t have faced all these.”
She claimed that the statement indicated a connection between the administrative action taken against her and her refusal to meet him privately.
These allegations form part of her complaint and will be examined during the police investigation.
Complaint Alleges Pressure to Withdraw Earlier FIR
Dash’s complaint also refers to an earlier FIR, registered as Case No. 35/2025, which she had filed against then Senior Superintendent Sujit Kumar Raula.
The earlier case allegedly concerned the forging of her signature and tampering with official records related to a jailbreak incident.
She alleged that Nath subsequently pressured her to withdraw the FIR. When she refused, she was allegedly threatened with termination from service, reversion to a lower rank and physical harm.
The allegations concerning the earlier FIR and the alleged threats are also part of the complaint submitted to Choudwar Police.
Former Jailor Raises Issue of Stopped Subsistence Allowance
Dash has also highlighted the financial difficulties she allegedly faced after her subsistence allowance was stopped.
According to her complaint, the stoppage created serious financial hardship for her and her two minor daughters.
She claimed that the allowance was restored in August 2026 following intervention by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
Odisha Police Begin Investigation Against Prisons DGP
Following the registration of the criminal case, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cuttack, formally informed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department and the Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack.
A copy of Dash’s complaint was enclosed with the communication for necessary action.
The complaint also cited the Supreme Court’s Lalita Kumari judgment, which deals with the registration of an FIR when information discloses a cognizable offence.
Inspector Bikash Sethi is investigating the case, and further action will depend on the findings of the investigation.
Allegations Against Senior Odisha Police Officer Yet to Be Verified
The case has brought attention to allegations concerning workplace safety, the treatment of women officers and the mechanisms available to address complaints involving senior officials in government departments.
While a criminal case has been registered based on Dash’s complaint, the allegations against Sushant Kumar Nath and Kuldeep Ratha remain unproven.
No response from the accused persons was available in the documents on the basis of which the case was registered. The police investigation is expected to establish the facts and determine the next course of action.
