Bhubaneswar: Senior IPS officer D S Kutey, who was suspended by Election Commission for ‘unduly interfering’ in the Odisha elections and later reinstated, has been appointed as Inspector General (IG) of Border Security Force (BSF).
The central deputation of the 1997-batch officer has been approved by Ministry of Home Affairs and the Odisha Chief Secretary has been requested to relieve him immediately.
“l am directed to convey approval of the competent authority for appointment of Shri Dhirendra Sambhaji Kutey as Inspector General in Border Security Force (BSF) from the date of assumption of charge of the post,” the official letter dated December 6 read.
Kutey will serve as BSF IG till February 29, 2028.
The same day another Odisha-cadre IPS officer, Ashish Kumar Singh, was appointed as Inspector General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
Kutey and Singh, posted as OSDs at the Home Department, had faced the EC’s ire after the state CEO in a report mentioned “undue influence being exercised by the two senior IPS officers”.
Kutey was considered part of the powerful coterie that called the shots in Odisha during the latter part of Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year rule, which ended in June 2024. He was suspended on May 28 in the aftermath of the alleged vandalism of EVMs by BJP’s Prashant Jagadev, during the sixth phase of the election on May 25. The officer was then serving as special secretary in the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office,.
His suspension was revoked on June 6 and he was posted as OSD, Home Department, on July 15.
In April, the poll panel removed Singh from IG (central range) to a non-election-related post following which he was posted as IG (CM security). It recommended action against Singh in June for allegedly misrepresenting facts regarding his health. The 2010-batch officer was directed to appear before a board of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar for a health check-up following complaints from the BJP that he was working in favour of the BJD in the polls despite being on sick leave (May 4 to June 2 ). He was removed from the post of Inspector General of Police (Chief Minister’s security) and posted as OSD, Home Department, on July 11.
Also Read: After EC Rap, IPS Officers D S Kutey, Ashish Singh Face Probe Prospect
Notably, Odisha DGP Y B Khurania has joined the BSF as IG Frontier headquarters, south Bengal, in 2018 and was promoted to Special Director General (Western Command) in July 2021 till he was repatriated in August.
