IPS Rajesh Pandit given 30 days to respond to misconduct charges amid ongoing inquiry

Bhubaneswar, Aug 29: The Odisha Home Department has instructed suspended IPS officer Rajesh Pandit to submit a written defense within 30 days as part of an upcoming inquiry into charges against him.

Pandit, a 2007-batch officer, was suspended on July 30 following allegations of serious misconduct, including the forcible entry into a married woman inspector’s home and inappropriate behavior on July 27.

According to the notification issued on August 27, Pandit must provide his defense statement within 30 days of receiving the memorandum. He also has the option to request a personal hearing. The inquiry will focus solely on the charges that are contested; therefore, Pandit is required to either admit or deny each charge explicitly. Failure to comply with these requirements, including not submitting his defense or appearing before the inquiry authority, may result in the inquiry proceeding in his absence.

This development follows a separate notification concerning an inquiry into the conduct of two senior IPS officers, DS Kutey and Ashish Kumar Singh, related to alleged misconduct during the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha.