1990-batch IPS officer Yogesh Bahadur Khurania on Friday took over as the State’s 38th Director General of Police.

Khurania Khurania was serving as the special director general (DG) of Border Security Force (BSF), western command in Chandigarh, and was repatriated to his parent Odisha cadre on 2 August.

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Khurania, who held several key positions in the past and delivered the goods, succeeded Arun Kumar Sarangi, who has been serving as the head of the state police force since December 2023.

In recognition of his meritorious service, he was conferred many commendations and rewards including the Governor’s Medal and President’s Police Medal.

Khurania joined the BSF as IG Frontier headquarters, south Bengal in 2018. Later he was promoted to Special Director General (Western Command) in July 2021 till he was repatriated early this month.

Prior to Central deputation, he officiated as police commissioner of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Besides serving as range DIG/IG of Central Range, Southern Range and Northern Range, he served as the Inspector General of anti-Maoist Operations, police commissioner of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and special director of state vigilance.

Khurania was instrumental in the arrest of Dara Singh while serving as DIG back then.

Dara Singh, the main accused in the triple murder Australian missionary Graham Staines and two minor sons, Phillip (10) and Timothy (seven), was convicted and sentenced to death by the CBI court in 2003. The Orissa High Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment in 2005, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011.

Staines and his children were burnt alive while asleep in a station wagon at Manoharpur village in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on the night of January 22, 1999. The incident had sent shockwaves across the country and abroad.