Bhubaneswar: In a key administrative development, the Odisha Government has assigned Director General of Police, Crime Branch, Shri Vinaytosh Mishra, the additional charge of Director General of Police (Head of Police Force).
The temporary arrangement comes into effect from 16 August 2026, following the retirement of outgoing DGP Shri Y.B. Khurania. Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has officially approved the proposal to place Shri Mishra in interim charge until further orders.
The handover takes place as Shri Y.B. Khurania completes his two-year term at the helm of the state police force. A 1990-batch IPS officer, Shri Khurania assumed charge as Odisha Police Chief on 16 August 2024. During his tenure, the police administration focused on modernizing law enforcement infrastructure, expanding rural and urban policing networks, and strengthening specialized investigation wings across the state.
Shri Vinaytosh Mishra, a senior 1993-batch IPS officer, currently Chief of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) Crime Branch. As the interim Head of Police Force, Shri Mishra will oversee day-to-day administration and law enforcement operations across Odisha while maintaining his regular portfolio in the CID Crime Branch.
The placement of an interim police chief comes amid an ongoing selection process for a full-time successor. Under the procedure prescribed by Supreme Court guidelines in the Prakash Singh case, the state government prepares a panel of senior eligible IPS officers and submits it to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The UPSC then shortlists candidates for final selection by the state government.
The temporary appointment of CID Crime Branch Director General of Police Shri Vinaytosh Mishra as the interim Head of Police Force comes against the backdrop of an ongoing legal challenge in the Supreme Court regarding the regular selection process.
Until the UPSC listing process and final selection conclude, Shri Vinaytosh Mishra will steer the state police department to ensure administrative continuity across law and order operations.