Bhubaneswar: In a surprising episode that has raised questions about protocol and security procedures at the Odisha Governor’s residence, two senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers were allegedly subjected to “high-handed” and “unwarranted” treatment during a scheduled courtesy meeting at Lok Bhavan on Thursday.
The officers, Manish Kumar (2015 batch) and Satya Prakash Mishra (2023 batch), were part of a delegation led by Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax Sudhakara Rao.
According to a strongly worded letter sent by Rao to the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Governor, the visit had been coordinated in advance, yet the two IRS officers were treated as “unauthorised entrants”, asked to wait in a hall as the rest of the group, including him, his wife, and three other officials, proceeded to meet the Governor.
Despite informing the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to t
he Governor and the ADC (Navy) about their presence, the two officers were allegedly forcibly removed from the premises in a police vehicle and taken to Capital police station on the instructions of the ADC (Police).
Rao described the episode as “deeply distressing” and an “affront to the dignity of their office”. “I am writing to bring to your kind attention a deeply distressing incident involving two officers of my department… It is particularly galling that these officers, who were on official duty and acting under my direct instructions, were treated as unauthorized entrants,” the complaint read.
The letter also highlighted baseless claims about the officers’ sobriety, which were later proven baseless after checks at the station.
Rao urged for a thorough examination of the security staff’s and ADC (Police)’s conduct to prevent such recurrences, emphasising that other accompanying staff and drivers faced no issues.
A source at Lok Bhavan confirmed that the matter is being taken “with utmost seriousness,” and an internal inquiry has already been initiated. Separately, the Commissionerate Police has launched its own probe, attributing the events to a “serious misunderstanding” stemming from an unsubstantiated allegation about one officer’s sobriety.