Odisha DGP selection controversy: Crucial Supreme Court hearing today

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Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear the Odisha DGP selection controversy today that is on September 22, 2026. The DGP selection for the state came under scrutiny over empanelment criteria, integrity certificates, and late-stage promotions.

The matter came to light following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Jayant Das alleging that the Odisha government did not follow the apex court guidelines from the 2006 Prakash Singh judgment while preparing the panel of officers for the state’s Director General of Police (DGP).

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohan will hear the case.

The UPSC was scheduled to empanel three senior IPS officers for consideration for Odisha’s next DGP on August 7. Jail DGP Sushant Nath was on the initial shortlist for the selection of Odisha’s next  DGP. However, the state government subsequently withdrew the earlier list and forwarded a revised list after promoting IPS officers Sanjeeb Panda and Yashwant Jethwa to the rank of DGP.

The revision in the list came following an CBI investigation ordered into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Police Sub-Inspectors during which Sushant Nath was working as the chairman of the Odisha Police Recruitment Board. So, there is a possibility of him being questioned or his statement recorded in connection with the CBI investigation.

Court appointed Amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran who submitted a report on the case, has raised questions over transparency and the promotion/empanelment of ADG-rank officers to DGP rank. He has questioned the administrative changes made after the State’s original proposal was sent to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the DGP selection.

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He specifically raised the issue of the exclusion of senior officer Sushant Kumar Nath, whether an integrity certificate was considered.

The Odisha government had sent an expanded list of 11 senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the Director General of Police (DGP) selection.

The list includes Dr. Sudhanshu Sarangi belonging to the 1990 Batch, Susanta Kumar Nath and R.P. Koche of 1993 Batch,1994 Batch’s Sanjeeb Panda and Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa, Ritu Arora, Saumendra Priyadarshi, Santosh Bala, and P.S. Ranpise of 1995 Batch and 1996 Batch’s Arun Bothra and Sunita Kakran.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) selection process has remained on hold due to earlier apex court interventions, with Vinaytosh Mishra holding additional charge as Odisha DGP.

Also Read: Odisha DGP Selection Case: SC postpones hearing to September 22

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