Several senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers with alleged close ties to V. Karthikeyan Pandian, a bureaucrat-turned-politician and a key figure under former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, have been reassigned to the state home department as Officers on Special Duty (OSD). Despite its title, the OSD position is considered a punitive measure for officials who have lost the government’s trust.
The five officers now serving as OSDs include Ashish Kumar Singh (2004 batch), DS Kutte (1997 batch), Ravi Kant (1998 batch), S.M. Narvane (1989 batch), and Ritu Arora (1995 batch). Kutte, Kant, and Singh were notably influential during the last term of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government and were perceived as close aides to Pandian. They were often referred to as “BJD-brand” officers in political circles.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) had previously identified interference by Kutte and Singh in the election process to benefit the BJD. Kutte was suspended, and Singh was reassigned from his role as Central Range IG to the Chief Minister’s security on April 5. Ravi Kant, who served as Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, is also among those reassigned.
On May 28, the ECI suspended Kutte for undue interference in the election process, placing him at the office of the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi during his suspension. This action aimed to ensure fairness in the electoral process. Additionally, Singh was ordered to appear before a medical board in Bhubaneswar during his leave on health grounds. By July 11, the state government had reassigned Singh as OSD in the home department.
