By Our Correspondent
CUTTACK/BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union PNG-Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday joined DGP Abhay led Odisha Police to condole the sad demise of 1991 batch IPS officer and State’s Vigilance Director, Debasis Panigrahi, who died at 56 while fighting COVID-19 at a super specialty hospital in Kolkata.
Panigrahi was first admitted to Ashwini Covid Hospital in Cuttack on May 29 after being diagnosed with the virus. Later, he had airlifted to Kolkata on June 8 as his health deteriorated further. Doctors had recommended his shifting to outside Odisha for advanced treatment using ECMO support.
“Deeply saddened to know about the passing away of senior IPS officer Shri Debasis Panigrahi. He was an experienced, able police administrator and also a prolific writer. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family members and friends. #OmShanti” Chief Minister Patnaik said.
“Deeply saddened to learn about the demise of Senior IPS Officer and Vigilance Director Debasis Panigrahi. He held several important positions as an IPS officer and served Odisha with distinction. Offer my deepest condolences to his family in this hour of grief,” Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted @dpradhanbjp.
DGP Abhay also paid rich tribute to the departed soul and said, “He was an outstanding police officer, an accomplished writer, a compassionate human being and a dear friend. Odisha Police is poorer. He will be missed and remembered for his hard work, integrity, sincerity, leadership and humility.”
Senior IPS officer Sudhanshu Sarangi tweeted, “We have lost Debasish Panigrahi. Have no words to express my grief. It’s a devastating blow to Odisha Police, Odia literature and to me personally.”
“Odisha Police greaves the sad demise of Dr. Debasis Panigrahi, IPS (1991), Director Vigilance, Odisha. During his illustrious career, he served the people of Odisha with highest standards of professionalism, integrity and compassion. He will remain an inspiration to us for long,” Odisha Police tweeted@odisha_police.
“Heartbroken to share that my senior colleague Sh Debashis Panigrahy left us last night. A great loss to Odisha Police and Odia literature and a personal loss to me. May God give strength to the family. May his soul again Moksha. OM SHANTI Folded hands #DebashisPanigrahi @odisha_police,” Odisha IGP(Operations) Amitabh Thakur tweeted @AMITABHTHAKUR21.
He was known for his sweet-spoken, upright and an author in the State Police Administration. He was a Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award winner.
‘Mellowed with Years’, a collection of poems in English, by Dr.Panigrahi, was released in March this year. Many of his poems are based on the Covid-19 pandemic. The book of poetry is Dr Panigrahi’s first collection of poems in English and also his first foray into writing in English.
He had published 10 collections of stories, three collections of novellas, a novel and a work of non-fiction and lyrics each in Odia. Some of his Odia stories have been dramatized as well as translated in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu and Kannada.
He joined Indian Police Service in 1991 and was allotted Odisha Cadre, which was his home cadre.He had successfully worked as Superintendent of Police (SP) of major districts such as Keonjhar, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Ganjam and Cuttack.
He had served as DIG of Police (Administration), Special Secretary in Home Department, IG of Police (Modernization) and IG of Police, (Personnel) and ADG of Police (Personnel) at the State Police Headquarters, Cuttack. He assumed office as Director Vigilance in October 2017.Born on August 29, 1965 in Balasore, Mr.Panigrahi graduated in Political Science and did MPhil from JNU and later PhD & LLB from Utkal University.
