IPS officer Ashish Singh transferred

Bhubaneswar: The newly-elected BJP government in Odisha on Thursday transferred IPS officer Ashish Kumar Singh, who was considered close to the BJD leadership, to the Home department as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD).

The order comes a day after the transfer of several senior IAS officers, including G Mathivathanan and R Vineel Krishna, who were known to be close to V K Pandian, an aide of former chief minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik. “Ashish Kumar Singh, IPS, (RR-2004), IGP, CM (security) is transferred and posted as OSD, Home department with immediate effect,” a notification said. Usually, the appointment of an IPS officer as OSD to the Home Department is treated as a punishment posting, said a retired police officer.

Following a complaint by Odisha BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the State, the Election Commission had, on April 2, transferred eight senior IAS and IPS officers, including Singh, to non-election duties. As per the order, Singh was transferred and posted as IG, Chief Minister’s security.

Later, the BJP had complained to the Election Commission, alleging that the IPS officer “continued to work in favour of the BJD”. The Election Commission had, in May, suspended Singh along with another IPS officer, D S Kutey, who was serving as Special Secretary to the CM, for “unduly interfering in the conduct of elections”.

The Election Commission had also directed Singh to be present for a detailed medical examination before a board constituted by the Director of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar as he was on medical leave for a long time.

The commission had, in June, recommended to the Odisha government to take action against Singh for “misrepresentation of fact” about his health condition.