Former Director General of Police (Prisons) Susanta Kumar Nath is facing fresh and serious allegations in Odisha, as a suspended jailor of Balasore District Jail has lodged a formal complaint with the Odisha Home Department, claiming he was placed under suspension after refusing orders to plant brown sugar on an undertrial prisoner. The complaint, dated 3 November 2026, comes days after Nath was already shifted out of his post over a separate sexual harassment allegation.

The Allegation: What the Jailor Claims

Pradipta Kumar Mahalik, the suspended jailor, addressed a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department on Monday, alleging a chain of events that began on 8 October. According to the complaint, Nath summoned Mahalik to Bhubaneswar that day. Due to a statewide bandh, Mahalik reportedly travelled by train and was allegedly received at the railway station by Bhubaneswar Jail Superintendent Sarbeswar Sahu.

Mahalik alleged that Sahu conveyed instructions from the DG to plant brown sugar in the pocket of undertrial prisoner Rajib Lochan Das, lodged at Balasore jail, and then conduct a search and register a criminal narcotics case against him. When Mahalik reportedly declined, he was directed to meet Nath the following morning.

Pressure at the DG's Office

On 9 October, at the DG's office, Mahalik alleged that Nath personally pressured him to carry out the operation, reportedly claiming that heavy pressure was coming from within the Home Department itself. According to the complaint, Nath offered Mahalik money, awards, and a promotion in exchange for compliance.

Mahalik stated he refused the offer and was made to sit at the office until evening under what he described as sustained coercion. The letter further alleged that the directives were being issued at the behest of an individual identified as Pragya Prakash Nayak, though the complaint does not elaborate on Nayak's role or position.

Suspension Following Medical Admission

Following the meeting, Mahalik reportedly fell severely ill and underwent medical consultations in Bhubaneswar before being admitted to Balasore District Headquarters Hospital from 10 October to 12 October. Upon discharge, he allegedly informed department authorities about his hospitalisation via email.

Despite this, Mahalik was suspended from service on 13 October — a step he has described in his letter as retaliatory, unethical, and unlawful. He has urged the Home Department to revoke the suspension and reinstate him to his post immediately.

Nath's Wider Troubles

This is not the first allegation to emerge against Nath in recent days. On Sunday, he was shifted to the Home Department as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) following allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a former woman jailor of Choudwar Circle Jail. The latest complaint adds a layer of alleged criminal misconduct to what is already a serious institutional crisis within Odisha's prison administration.

With two separate complaints now on record — one touching on sexual harassment and another on alleged evidence-planting — the Odisha Home Department faces mounting pressure to initiate a credible and independent inquiry into Nath's conduct during his tenure as DGP (Prisons).