Bhubaneswar, Odisha — The Odisha government pulled the plug on Susanta Nath’s tenure as Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services on Tuesday, transferring him to the Home Department as an Officer on Special Duty. The move landed less than 24 hours after a criminal case was registered against Nath and Kuldeep Rath under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. The complainant, a woman officer, stated that Rath contacted her twice in August and September 2025 on Nath’s behalf, inviting her to dinner at two Cuttack hotels. She described these invitations as unwelcome personal approaches.
The complaint also alleges Nath pressured her to withdraw a case against another senior official. While the official transfer notification does not explicitly cite the criminal case, senior officials have directly linked the administrative reshuffle to the investigation. Nath, a 1993-batch IPS officer, was widely considered a frontrunner for the post of Odisha Director General of Police. His removal effectively sidelines him from that race, signaling a sharp departure from the usual administrative rhythm in the state’s police hierarchy.
Santhosh Bala, Director of the State Forensic Science Laboratory, has taken additional charge as Prisons DG. Amitabh Thakur is the new Transport Commissioner with headquarters in Cuttack, while Rajesh Kumar serves as Special Secretary in the Home Department. The reshuffle also saw Saara Sharma return from central deputation to head the State Vigilance Department, and Amritpal Singh appointed SP of Police Headquarters. District-level changes included Sonali Singh Parmar taking over as SP of Jharsuguda and Tapan Narayan Rath as SP of Nuapada.
The legal fallout extends beyond the police department. Notices have reportedly been sent to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hemant Sharma and Nath, demanding their appearance before a Parliamentary Standing Committee. This development adds a legislative scrutiny layer to the ongoing departmental proceedings.
The next critical step is the committee hearing, where the administration will face questions regarding the timing of the transfer and the status of the BNS case. For now, Nath remains in OSD status, with the investigation and due process proceedings continuing in parallel.