Bhubaneswar: In a major administrative development, senior Odisha cadre Indian Police Service officer Shri Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa has been promoted to the rank of Director General of Police. The promotion proposal was approved by Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi following recommendations from the departmental promotion committee. This elevation marks a significant milestone in the career of a widely respected officer known across the state for his unwavering honesty, professional integrity, and steadfast commitment to public service.
Shri Jethwa, a distinguished 1994-batch IPS officer, has served as the Director of the Odisha Vigilance Directorate since June 2021, making him the longest-serving head of the state anti-corruption wing in recent years. Under his dynamic and visionary leadership, the Odisha Vigilance has transformed into a formidable institution, scaling unprecedented heights in the fight against corruption and setting a benchmark for anti-corruption drives nationwide.
During his tenure, the anti-corruption wing adopted a proactive, intelligence-driven approach that fundamentally shifted how financial crimes and graft are tackled in the state. One of the most notable hallmarks of his success has been the aggressive detection and registration of Disproportionate Assets cases against corrupt public servants. According to National Crime Records Bureau data, the Odisha Vigilance under his stewardship emerged as the leading state in the country for unearthing and registering illicit wealth accumulated by corrupt officials, routinely conducting high-profile raids and operations.
Beyond the initial crackdowns, Shri Jethwa placed immense emphasis on ensuring logical legal conclusions to investigations. Under his watch, the Vigilance Directorate maintained a stellar conviction rate, consistently ranking among the top state anti-corruption agencies in successfully prosecuting offenders and ensuring that corrupt public officials faced stringent legal consequences. This uncompromising judicial accountability also paved the way for the strict administrative dismissal of convicted individuals from government service, sending a strong deterrent message across administrative corridors.
To counter increasingly sophisticated financial crimes, Shri Jethwa modernized the operational framework of the anti-corruption setup. He systematically integrated advanced technology, forensic accounting, and specialized digital investigation tools into routine casework, empowering investigating teams to handle intricate economic offenses with greater precision.
Prior to taking the helm at the Vigilance Directorate, Shri Jethwa built an exemplary service record holding several critical assignments in Odisha and at the national level. He served as the Additional Director General of Police for Law and Order and the Crime Branch, and held sensitive national assignments including serving as Inspector General in the elite Special Protection Group responsible for protecting high-profile national dignitaries. Early in his career, he also earned immense acclaim for his tactical proficiency in leading anti-Maoist operations across challenging terrains in southern and western Odisha.E
Earlier in his career, as IGP Southern Western Range, Shri Jethwa demonstrated exceptional prowess in handling Anti-Maoist Operations, effectively containing extremists in the challenging regions of Koraput, Malkangiri, and Kalahandi. His seamless coordination with Central Para Military Forces, including CRPF, CoBRA, and BSF, earned him widespread acclaim from both the State and Union Governments.
The promotion to the Director General rank is a fitting recognition of Shri Jethwa’s exceptional career, decades of exemplary leadership, and relentless crusade to foster a clean, transparent, and accountable administration in Odisha.