TNI Bureau: The Odisha government on Monday transferred senior IPS officer Dayal Gangwar and posted him as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Home Department, a move being viewed as a “punishment transfer” amid controversy surrounding the Soumya Ranjan lynching case.

According to a notification issued by the Odisha Home Department on May 25, 2026, Gangwar, a 1998-batch IPS officer who was serving as Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Communication, Odisha, Cuttack, has been transferred with immediate effect.

Gangwar had earlier faced allegations of harassment made by the family of GRP constable Soumya Ranjan, who was reportedly under tremendous mental stress due to the IPS and later lynched in a separate incident at Balianta on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The incident had triggered widespread public outrage and demands for accountability.

Following the transfer order, members of Soumya Ranjan’s family said the action taken against the IPS officer was not enough and demanded stringent action in connection with the allegations linked to the case. They also reiterated their demand for a proper investigation and justice for Soumya Ranjan.