Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police on Thursday issued a public notice for IPS officer of Odisha cadre NB Bharathi regarding her prolonged unauthorised absence from duty.
The officer has been accused of gross misconduct, disobedience of lawful order and dereliction of duty and asked to reply within 15 days. “If no written statement/representation is received within the specified dale, it would be presumed that you have no reasonable explanation to offer on the findings of the inquiry officer and the proceeding would be disposed off ex-parte,” the notice said.
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Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the 1998-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer, who was then posted as inspector general (IG) with Odisha Police’s human rights protection cell (HRPC), 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.
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.
“On receipt of the proceeding file, the inquiry officer fixed different dates to conduct enquiry, but all notices sent by Additional DGP, Cuttack, to three available addresses were returned undelivered. The same was also sent in your email ID and found not received til date. You failed to attend the proceeding enquiry in spite of repeated notices to you. Though adequate opportunity was given lo you to defend yourself, you did not appear and proceeding was conducted ex-parte. After due application of mind and basing on all the materials on record, the EO held you guilty of charges of gross misconduct, disobedience of lawful
order and dereliction of duty,” the notice added.
