By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:Odisha Police officers and government lawyers were honoured today for their outstanding contribution to investigation and legal proceedings, as well as ensuring successful prosecution of sensitive and important criminal cases.
The Director General of Police, , Shri Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, graced the felicitation ceremony organized by the Odisha Police Crime Branch at the Police Bhawan in Bhubaneswar as the chief guest and felicitated the District Superintendents of Police, Supervising Officers, Government Lawyers and Investigating Officers who played a key role in the successful convictions.
A total of 66 people were honoured on the occasion. They include 24 investigating officers, 11 supervisory officers, 23 government lawyers and 8 SPs.
Among the officers honoured were Dr. Uma Shankar Dash, IPS, IGP (Home and Fire Services), Shri Smith P. Parmar, IPS, then SP, Jharsuguda, Shri Rohit Verma, IPS, SP, Koraput, Shri Harish B.C., IPS, then SP, Kandhamal, Shri Subhendu Kumar Patra, IPS, then SP, Kandhamal, Shri Nitin Kushalkar, IPS, SP, Keonjhar, Dr. Sarabana Vivek M., IPS, SP, Berhampur, Shri Mukesh Kumar Bhamu, IPS, SP, Sambalpur and Shri Rahul Goel, IPS, former SDPO, Baliguda who were prominently present and received the commendation letters. Along with this, the Superintending Officers, Government Prosecutors and Investigating Officers of these various districts were also honoured.
The ceremony also felicitated the police officers and employees who played a significant role in the successful organization of the ‘Nyay Sanhita Exhibition-2026’. The exhibition was an important public awareness initiative to sensitize the public about the new criminal law and increase legal literacy.
It is worth mentioning that the week-long exhibition, organized from 6th to 12th March 2026 at IDCO Exhibition Grounds, Unit-3, Bhubaneswar, was visited by more than one lakh people. It was successfully implemented under the supervision of the Director General of Planning and Crime Branch, Shri Binaytosh Mishra, under the chairmanship of the DGP. 15 officers were awarded DGP’s commendation for their contribution.
In his speech on the occasion, DGP Shri Khurania said that the new criminal laws implemented from 1st July 2024 have made the criminal justice process more patient-centric, forensic-oriented and time-bound.
He noted that the conviction rate has increased due to proper coordination between investigating officers and government lawyers behind successful convictions. He said that the coordinated efforts of both parties, starting from the scene of the crime to the presentation of closing arguments in court, have helped in increasing the conviction rate.
Director General of Security (Crime Branch) Shri Binaytosh Mishra, Additional Director General of Security (Headquarters) Shri Pratya Mohanty, DIG (STF) Dr. Kanwar Hakib Singh, DIG (Crime Branch) Shri Batula Gangadhar, DIG (Crime Branch) Shri Madkar Sandeep Sampath, SP (Crime Branch) Shri Vivekananda Sharma and many senior officers of the police department were present at today’s ceremony.
