Dr Saravana Vivek M moves from Berhampur to the capital; fresh postings ordered for Berhampur, Dhenkanal and Bargarh
GTNS , SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 , BHUBANESWAR: A change at the top of Bhubaneswar’s urban policing structure is now official, with the Odisha Government appointing Dr Saravana Vivek M, IPS, as the new Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Bhubaneswar.
Dr Saravana Vivek M was serving as Superintendent of Police, Berhampur before being moved to the state capital. His appointment follows the departure of Jagmohan Meena, IPS, whose resignation from the Indian Police Service was accepted with effect from September 11, 2026.
The latest order has also produced a chain of changes in district police leadership, making the development more than a single-post replacement.
Four-officer reshuffle changes police leadership
The latest postings include:
| Officer | New assignment |
|---|---|
| Dr Saravana Vivek M, IPS | DCP, Bhubaneswar |
| Abhinav Sonkar, IPS | SP, Berhampur |
| Ajinkya B. Mane, IPS | SP, Dhenkanal |
| A.B. Shilpa | SDPO, Bargarh |
The reshuffle follows the movement of Saravana Vivek from Berhampur to Bhubaneswar and corresponding changes in the district-level police structure. Current reporting on the government’s order identifies the exercise as a four-officer IPS reshuffle.
Who is Dr Saravana Vivek M?
Dr Saravana Vivek M is a 2015-batch IPS officer. He had been heading Berhampur police before the latest transfer.
His move to Bhubaneswar brings recent district-policing experience into the Commissionerate Police system. Odisha Police records have listed him as SP, Berhampur, confirming his recent assignment there.
A new chapter after Jagmohan Meena
The Bhubaneswar DCP post became vacant following Jagmohan Meena’s resignation.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had announced that the resignation of 2013-batch IPS officer Jagmohan Meena was accepted with effect from September 11, 2026. Meena had been serving as DCP, Bhubaneswar, before leaving the service.
The government subsequently moved to fill the vacancy with a regular appointment rather than leaving the capital’s police leadership unsettled.
Berhampur gets a new SP
The transfer of Saravana Vivek automatically creates the next major change in the southern Odisha policing structure.
Abhinav Sonkar, IPS, has been posted as SP, Berhampur.
Sonkar is a 2019-batch IPS officer. Official IPS records identify him as an Odisha-cadre officer and list his earlier assignment as SP, Dhenkanal.
His transfer to Berhampur consequently creates the vacancy that leads to the next posting.
Ajinkya B. Mane moves to Dhenkanal
Ajinkya B. Mane, IPS, has been posted as SP, Dhenkanal.
The appointment completes another link in the reshuffle chain, with the district receiving a new police chief following Sonkar’s movement to Berhampur.
Bargarh also sees field-level change
The government has also posted A.B. Shilpa as SDPO, Bargarh, adding a field-level change to the broader police reorganisation.
Why the Bhubaneswar posting comes at a significant time
The appointment comes as Bhubaneswar prepares for an increasingly busy public calendar and the approaching festive period.
For the new DCP, the immediate policing priorities will include law and order, crime prevention, traffic coordination, crowd management, security for public events and police deployment during major festivals.
Bhubaneswar Commissionerate Police operates through a structured network of zones and police stations, making the DCP’s role central to coordination of policing across the capital.
From Berhampur policing to capital-city responsibilities
The significance of the appointment lies not merely in filling a vacant post. It represents a shift in police leadership from a major southern Odisha city to the state’s capital.
The coming weeks will therefore provide the first indication of the operational priorities under the new DCP—particularly in relation to visibility of policing, traffic management, prevention of street crime, response mechanisms and security arrangements during the festive season.
For Berhampur and Dhenkanal, the reshuffle similarly marks the beginning of new leadership at the district level.
GTNS NEWS DESK | BHUBANESWAR