Govt seeks info on Ashish Singh

Bhubaneswar: The state government Thursday asked the Director General of Police (DGP) to provide information regarding the leave availed by IPS officer Ashish Kumar Singh. In the letter, Muralidhar Mallick, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) cum additional secretary, Home said that Singh was allowed to avail leave for one month, from May 4, 2025, on health grounds by the Home department. “In the meantime, more than one month has passed, but no communication has been received in this department whether Singh has resumed duty after availing the leave or extended the leave. It is therefore requested to kindly furnish information to the Home department for further necessary action in the matter,” the letter stated. It may be noted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had directed Singh to appear before a board of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar for a health check-up following complaints from the BJP that the IPS officer was working in favour of the BJD in polls though officially he was on sick leave. After a six-member board of the AIIMS submitted its report stating that Singh was mentally and physically fit, the Election Commission had written to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha to forward the AIIMS report to the Chief Secretary for necessary actions against the IPS officer.