The Election Commission of India has approved the appointment of Fire Services, Home Guards and Civil Defence DG Bijay Kumar Sharma as the new DGP In-charge of Odisha, as the incumbent DGP RP Sharma is on leave following his wife Tushar Sharma’s untimely death at a private hospital in New Delhi.

Tushar was suffering from pneumonia for the past couple of days and had been admitted to CARE hospital in Bhubaneswar a few days ago. Later, she was moved to Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi where she breathed her last on Monday morning. Due to the model code of conduct, the State government had recommended names of three DGP rank officers including that of BK Sharma for the top post to the Election Commission.

BK Sharma, a 1986-batch IPS officer, had served the state in various positions. Before becoming the Director General of Fire Services and Commandant General (home guards) and Director of Civil Defence, he functioned as the Director General (Prisons) and was also promoted and posted as the Special DGP Crime Branch (CID).

Besides stints as SPs of several districts, BK Sharma had also served as Commissioner of Police of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack from May 2008 to May 2012.