Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police on Wednesday felicitated 66 police officers and government pleaders for their outstanding contribution to investigation, prosecution and securing convictions in sensitive and important criminal cases.
The felicitation ceremony, organised by the Crime Branch at Police Bhawan here, was attended by Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania as the chief guest. Superintendents of Police, supervising officers, government counsel and investigating officers who played key roles in successful convictions were presented certificates of appreciation.
Among those honoured were 24 investigating officers, 11 supervising officers, 23 government lawyers and eight SPs.
Those who received the certificates included IGP (Home Guards and Fire Services) Uma Shankar Das; former Jharsuguda SP Smith P. Parmar; Koraput SP Rohit Barma; former Kandhamal SP Harish B.C.; former Kandhamal SP Shubhendu Kumar Patra; Keonjhar SP Nitin Kushalkar; Brahmapur SP Saravana Vivek M.; Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamu; and former Baliguda SDPO Rahul Goel.
Supervising officers, government counsel and investigating officers from various districts were also felicitated for their contributions to successful prosecution of criminal cases.
On the occasion, police officers and personnel who contributed to the successful organisation of the ‘Nyaya Samhita Pradarshani–2026’ were also recognised. The week-long exhibition, held from March 6 to 12 at the IDCO Exhibition Ground in Unit-3, Bhubaneswar, was aimed at creating awareness among the public about the new criminal laws and promoting legal literacy.
The exhibition attracted more than one lakh visitors and was organised under the planning of a high-level committee chaired by the DGP and the supervision of DGP (Crime) Vinaytosh Mishra. Fifteen police officers received the DGP’s certificates of appreciation for their contribution to the event.
Addressing the gathering, DGP Khurania said the new criminal laws, which came into force on July 1, 2024, have made the criminal justice process more victim-centric and forensic-based, besides providing for completion of proceedings within prescribed time limits.
He emphasised that effective coordination between investigating officers and government lawyers has played a significant role in improving the conviction rate. From crime scene investigation to the presentation of final arguments in court, coordinated efforts between the police and prosecution have contributed to better outcomes in criminal cases, he said.
The ceremony was attended by DGP (Crime Branch) Vinaytosh Mishra, ADGP (Headquarters) Pratik Mohanty, DIG (STF) Kanwar Vishal Singh, DIG (Crime Branch) Batula Gangadhar, DIG (Crime Branch) Madkar Sandeep Sampat, SP (Crime Branch) Vivekananda Sharma and other senior police officers.
