Two senior IPS officers of the 1994 batch were left out of the Odisha government’s promotion list issued on Tuesday, setting off quiet chatter in police and bureaucratic circles. ADG-rank officers Sanjeeb Panda and Yeshwant Jethwa, both eligible for elevation for over a year, were expected to make the cut but did not figure in the latest order.
Panda currently heads the state’s anti-Naxal operations, while Jethwa is serving as Vigilance Director. Their absence from the list has raised eyebrows within the IPS community, particularly because both names were being closely tracked ahead of any future changes in the police leadership. Although DGP Y B Khurania is in tenure until August 2026, talk of a possible shift at the top has been simmering for some time.
According to officials in the Home Department, the promotions could not move forward due to the absence of sanctioned vacancies at the DGP level. One senior official maintained that the two officers met all eligibility requirements but added, off the record, that the vacancy position was the only hurdle.
Odisha has four sanctioned DGP posts—two cadre and two ex-cadre—but six officers already hold the rank: Y B Khurania, Sudhanshu Sarangi, Sapna Tewari, Susanta Nath, Vinaytosh Mishra and R P Koche. Sapna Tewari is currently on central deputation. With five officers serving in-state, officials say any addition would push the strength beyond what the government is willing to allow at present.
Not everyone agrees with that reasoning. A senior police officer pointed out that there have been earlier occasions where six or even seven officers were simultaneously at DGP rank, despite the sanctioned strength remaining unchanged at four.
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