BHUBANESWAR: Nine districts got new superintendents of police (SPs) as the government effected a major reshuffle of IPS and senior OPS officers on Tuesday ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha.Total 29 officers including many at the rank of additional director general (ADG), inspector general (IG) and deputy inspector general (DIG) transferred and given new assignments.Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi and Rourkela SP Umashankar Dash exchanged their places. Sarangi had faced criticism after violence broke out in Puri in October last year during a bandh called by a local outfit protesting introduction of queue system for devotees visiting the Jagannath Temple. He was also under fire when the Jagannath Temple shut for nearly 12 hours following protests over police assault on servitors in December.Sarah Sharma, who is currently serving as SP, Biju Patnaik State Police Academy (BPSPA), transferred as new SP, Gajapati. Similarly, Deogarh SP Anupama James has been transferred as SP, Dhenkanal while sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Barbil, Rahul Jain will replace James as new SP, Deogarh.Malkangiri SDPO Sarvana Vivek M has been posted as SP, Rayagada as the incumbent Rahul PR was transferred to Crime Branch (special task force). Baliguda SDPO Kusalkar Nitin Dugdu will head the police force in Nabarangaour district.Senior Odisha Police Service officers--Amulya Kumar Das and Radha Binod Panigrahi have been appointed as SPs of Khurda and Cuttack police districts respectively.The state government also transferred law and order IG Amitabh Thakur to special armed police wing while Berhampur DIG Ashis Kumar Singh is posted as DIG, intelligence and in-charge chief minister’s security.The BJP recently met state home secretary Asit Tripathy demanding transfer of Thakur and Singh accusing both of working at the behest of the ruling party.Among the senior IPS officers, director, intelligence Sunil Roy has been promoted and appointed as special director general, intelligence. Sanjeeb Panda, who is currently serving as transport commissioner, was given the crucial assignment of ADG, law and order ahead of polls.Binyanand Jha, who was attached to home department, was transferred as ADG and director, investigation, Odisha Human Rights Commission. Sidhartha Mahadu Narvane will head the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) of the Odisha Police as the existing HRPC ADG Mahendra Pratap has been transferred as ADG, Prisons.After promoted to IG rank, crime branch DIG S Shyni has been posted as IG, BPSPA. While Himansu Kumar Lal is transferred as DIG, Koraput; Yatindra Koyal will serve as IG, Berhampur.While Vivekananda Sharma and Padmini Sahoo have been transferred to Police Headquarters and Commissionerate Police; Pratyush Diwakar will serve as SP cum Aide-de-camp to the governor.

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