Bhubaneswar: Two Odisha-cadre IPS Officers – Ravi Kant and Mitrabhanu Mohapatra- have been appointed Inspector General (IG) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Border Security Force (BSF).
Kant, a 1998-batch IPS officer, was shifted to the Home department as an officer on special duty in July 2024. He was considered a 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 also the first appointee to the Resident Commissioner post at Odisha Bhawan.
“I am directed to refer to the subject mentioned above and to convey approval of the competent authority for appointment of Shri Ravi Kanta, IPS (OD:1998) as Inspector General in Border Security Force (BSF) against existing vacancy on deputation basis for a period of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier. It is, therefore, requested that Shri Ravi Kanta, IPS (OD:1998) may be relieved immediately to enable him to take up his new assignment at the Centre,” the April 24 letter to Odisha Chief Secretary read.
In April 2024, Mitrabhanu Mohapatra, who was then serving as Rourkela SP, was directed to report to the State Police Headquarters in Cuttack following an ECI order The transfer was ordered amid allegations by the BJP of an unholy nexus between officials and the then ruling BJD.
He is currently serving as the DIG at Odisha Police Headquarters in Cuttack.
Mohapatra served as SP of mineral-rich Keonjhar from August 2019 to May 2023, when he was transferred to Rourkela.
“I am directed to refer to the subject mentioned above and to convey approval of the competent authority for appointment of Shri Mitrabhanu Mahapatra, IPS (OD:2010) as Deputy Inspector General in Border Security Force (BSF) against existing vacancy on deputation basis for a period of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier. It is, therefore, requested that Shri Mitrabhanu Mahapatra, IPS (OD:2010) may be relieved immediately to enable him to take up his new assignment at the Centre,” the other letter said.
In December 2024, D S Kutey and Ashish Singh left Odisha on central deputation and were posted as IG of BSF and IG of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) respectively. Kutey and Singh, posted as OSDs at the Home Department, had also faced the EC’s ire after the state CEO in a report mentioned “undue influence being exercised by the two senior IPS officers”.
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