• durgesh dubey
• 18 Sep, 2024

NCW

The National Commission for Women takes suo motu cognisance of allegations made by an Army officer and his lady friend regarding their custodial abuse by Odisha Police. A formal letter has been sent to the DGP, requesting an action taken report within 3 days. Urgent disciplinary action is expected, says the NCW.

On Tuesday, the Crime Branch of the Odisha Police began an investigation into the alleged assault of an Army officer and the reported molestation of his female friend at a police station in Bhubaneswar. The incident unfolded when the Army officer, stationed in West Bengal, and his female friend went to the Bharatpur police station early Sunday morning to file a complaint about a road rage incident involving harassment by local youths. At the station, the pair reportedly had a dispute with the police over the registration of their FIR. The Army officer was allegedly detained in a lockup, while his female friend was taken to a private room by a female officer, where she claims she was assaulted, stripped, and molested. The Army officer was held for over 10 hours before being released due to intervention by Army authorities. Despite this, his female friend was booked by the police. A police officer stated that the duo arrived at the station in an inappropriate state and, when asked to submit a written complaint about the road rage, refused and behaved poorly towards the police, including a female officer. A five-member team from the Crime Branch visited the Bharatpur police station on Tuesday. They questioned the police personnel present during the incident and reviewed the case documents for over four hours. The investigation commenced following an order from DGP Y B Khurania, directing the Crime Branch to probe the allegations and counter-allegations involving the Army officer and the police. CID Additional Director General Arun Bothra confirmed that DSP-ranked officer Narendra Kumar Behera is overseeing the investigation, along with other related cases. In response to the incident, the Central Command of the Indian Army issued a statement on X, expressing serious concern and indicating that action had been taken with state authorities. Meanwhile, the Orissa High Court, in response to petitions filed by the Army officer’s female friend, ordered the police to ensure she receives treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The court also scheduled a hearing for her bail application and directed the Inspector-in-Charge of Bharatpur police station to appear virtually on Wednesday. The woman's lawyer, Mohit Mohanty, revealed that two petitions had been filed in the high court: one for bail and the other seeking the quashing of the FIR against her.