IPS officer appointed as Special Secretary to Odisha CM gets suspended by ECI
BHUBANESWAR, MAY 28 :The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday suspended senior IPS Officer DS Kutey, posted as Special Secretary in Odisha Chief Minister Office (CMO) for “unduly interfering” in the conduct of election.
The ECI also ordered the officer to report to the office of the Odisha Resident Commissioner, New Delhi, by 3 pm on Wednesday.
The ECI in an official communication to the Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) directed that the IPS officer be suspended for “unduly interfering” in the conduct of the election.
The order said Kutey’s official headquarter is fixed at the office of the Odisha Resident Commissioner, New Delhi and he has been asked to report by 3 PM on May 29.
The order further said the CEO should provide to the Chief Secretary of Odisha the draft for the charge sheet to be issued to D S Kutey by a competent authority under relevant service rule not later than 5 PM of May 30.
The Election Commission also directed IG (CM Security) Ashish Kumar Singh, on medical leave since May 4, to appear for a detailed medical examination by a special medical board constituted by the Director, AIIMS, Bhubaneswar not later than May 30.
The ECI order said the CEO shall coordinate to ensure that Director AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, constitutes a special medical board to ascertain Ashish Kumar Singh’s illness and treatment being undergone by him, a report on which shall be communicated to the Commission office by May 31.
“The CEO Odisha in his communication on May 27 had made certain averments indicating undue influence being exercised by Kutey and Singh on officers directly connected with conduct of election work,” the ECI letter said adding “it was further corroborated by various other inputs received from the field from time to time”.
The Commission, it said, has given the order to curb “undue influence” on the election machinery and maintain a level playing field and fairness in the electoral process.
The ECI letter further said an expeditious investigation should continue unhindered in the case registered against MLA candidate Prashant Jagdev for damaging EVM in a polling booth. (UNI)
