After EC Rap, IPS Officers D S Kutey, Ashish Singh Face Probe Prospect

Bhubaneswar: The Home Department on Friday informed that an inquiry is proposed over gross misconduct by two senior IPS officers, DS Kutey and Ashish Kumar Singh, during 2024 simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha.

The IPS officers, now posted as OSDs at the Home Department, have been served show-cause notices and directed to submit written statement in defence within 30 days. The probe against them will be declared as ex-prate if they don’t submit their written replies or depose before the inquiring authorities within this period.

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 and Singh were accused of unduly interfering in the election process in the state.

The Election Commission suspended Kutey, who was serving as special secretary in the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office,  on May 28 in the aftermath of the alleged vandalism of EVMs by BJP’s candidate for the Khurda Assembly seat, Prashant Jagadev, during the sixth phase of the election on May 25. His suspension was revoked on June 6 and he was posted as OSD, Home Department, on July 15.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. He 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.