File Picture
The alleged sexual assault of an army officer’s fiancee at a police station sparked outrage with former chief minister Naveen Patnaik condemning the incident as “shocking” and demanding a judicial probe while state chief minister Mohan Majhi vowing to take stringent action against the guilty.
On post on X Naveen wrote , The way an Army Major and a lady were treated in Bharatpur Police Station is shocking and beyond comprehension. The manner in which police have allegedly treated them has shaken the conscience of the country.
The way an Army Major and a lady were treated in Bharatpur Police Station is shocking and beyond comprehension. The manner in which police have allegedly treated them has shaken the conscience of the country. This has happened to a serving Army Officer and a lady within #Odisha.…
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) September 20, 2024
Earlier, the Odisha Police Crime Branch registered a case against the five police personnel, including the inspector in charge of Bharatpur police station, allegedly involved in the assault. They have already been suspended after the incident became public on Wednesday.
The woman’s father, a retired Brigadier, demanded the arrest and dismissal of the cops for taking the law into their hands while the National Commission for Women (NCW), which took suo motu cognisance of the incident, sought an action taken report from the state DGP.
The incident took place on September 15 when an Army officer posted in West Bengal and his fiancee approached Bharatpur police station to lodge a complaint of road rage in which they were allegedly harassed by some local youths. However, a verbal altercation took place between the couple and some policemen following which the officer and his fiancee were allegedly assaulted at the police station.
The woman spoke to the media to narrate the alleged horrific ordeal.
Reacting strongly, the opposition BJD and Congress slammed the BJP government over the incident. Women activists also sat on a dharna in front of the Police Bhavan demanding the arrest of the erring policemen.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha , Rahul Gandhi tweeted on X in Hindi
ओडिशा में घटित भयंकर घटना ने देश की कानून व्यवस्था पर गंभीर सवाल खड़े कर दिए हैं।
पुलिस से मदद मांगने गए एक सेना अधिकारी को बेरहमी से पीटा गया और उनकी मंगेतर को कस्टडी में उत्पीड़ित किया गया। यह घृणित घटना पूरी मानवता को शर्मसार करने वाली है।
भाजपा सरकार में महिलाओं के विरुद्ध…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 20, 2024
Interestingly BJP MP Sambit Patra who has been very vocal over the RG Kar incident of rape and murder in Kolkata and had slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has not commented on the issue . Nor addressed a press conference . Godi media too has kept mum.
