Odisha govt suspends IFS officer over 'involvement' in forest official death case

The Odisha government on Sunday (August 2, 2026) suspended an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer over his alleged involvement in the mysterious death of a forest officer in Gajapati district in 2021, an official statement said.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered the suspension of Sangram Keshari Behera, who is currently posted as Director (commercial) in the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC), it said.

Mr. Behera, who was the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Paralakhemundi at the time of the incident, was an accused in the death of Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, former Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Paralakhemundi.

Mohapatra, a 2018-batch officer of Odisha Forest Service, sustained serious burn injuries at his home on July 11, 2021. His wife was also present in the house during the incident.

He later succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a private hospital in Cuttack on July 12. His family members, however, alleged that Mohapatra was murdered, and accused the then DFO (Behera), the deceased's wife and the house cook of involvement.

On July 13, 2021, the deceased's family members lodged a complaint against the trio, accusing them of conspiring to kill Mohapatra. Based on their complaint, a case was registered at Paralakhemundi police station. Later, it was handed over to the Crime Branch.

In September, 2022, the deceased's family members approached the local court, citing several lacunae in the investigation. When the accused failed to appear despite summonses, the trial court issued non-bailable warrants against Behera.

Seeking relief, Mr. Behera filed for anticipatory bail in the High Court, but his petition was rejected. He was directed to present himself before the trial court. Accordingly, he surrendered before the Paralakhemundi court on July 27 this year and was remanded to judicial custody.