Bhubaneswar: Amid the legal stalemate over the appointment of Odisha’s next DGP, the govt on Friday named DG (crime branch) Vinaytosh Mishra as in‑charge chief of the state police. Current DGP Y B Khurania’s two-year tenure ends on Sunday afternoon.“The chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved a proposal to assign the additional charge of DGP to crime branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra from Aug 16 until further order,” the CMO said in a statement.The announcement about an ‘ad hoc’ DGP came hours after Khurania met Majhi for a courtesy call ahead of his retirement.The selection process for a regular DGP remains in limbo after an RTI activist moved the Supreme Court earlier this week, challenging the promotion of an ADG and his inclusion in the panel of names sent by the state to UPSC. The activist alleged violation of procedure, a charge dismissed by advocate general Pitambar Acharya, who maintained that Odisha followed the guidelines scrupulously.On Thursday, SC directed UPSC to defer its meeting to shortlist three officers for the panel from which the state was to pick Khurania’s successor.
