‘Missing’ Odisha IPS Officer May Face The Axe

Bhubaneswar: Having failed to establish any contact through postal correspondence, e-mail and phone, the Odisha government has decided to initiate stern action against IPS officer N B Bharathi for alleged unauthorised absence from duty and irresponsible conduct.

She has reportedly not joined duty since the last over three years.

According to sources, an advertisement will soon be issued in newspapers about her prolonged unauthorised absence from duty and she will be given a 15-day ultimatum to respond. Following which, she may be issued a dismissal order.

A 1998-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer, she was then posted as inspector general (IG) with Odisha Police’s human rights protection cell (HRPC). Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against her for not reporting to work since November 23, 2017. She subsequently joined office but again became incommunicado in November 2019.

In December 2019, the state police headquarters apprised the home department about Bharathi’s absence from office without any prior intimation or leave application after receiving a report from the HRPC’s additional director general of police (ADG) S M Narvane. She did not join office despite repeated notices and reminders. Many notices were undelivered on her addresses, the sources said.

On January 3, 2020, senior IPS officer Vinaytosh Mishra was asked to inquire into the disciplinary proceedings against her.

In September 2021, office of the additional director general (ADG) of Odisha Crime Records Bureau issued a public notice asking Bharathi to appear before it on October 29.