Bhubaneswar: A day after a serving officer of the Indian Army and his female friend were allegedly assaulted at the Bharatpur police station where they had gone to report a road rage instance, the Odisha State Ex-Servicemen Association Monday demanded the suspension of IIC Dinakrushna Mishra and other policemen involved in the brutality.
At a press meeting, president of the association Brigadier Antaryami Pradhan, who is also father of City-based restaurateur Ankita Pradhan who had allegedly been subjected to the police excess along with her friend Gurvansh Singh, a Major attached to the 22 Sikh Regiment at Kolkata, alleged that the police had arranged a ‘false report’ from the Capital Hospital before producing his daughter in the court. “They had submitted that report to the magistrate,” he alleged.
Accusing the police of ‘hiding’ the original report, he demanded the immediate release of actual medical examination report which would prove how brutally Ankita was assaulted by the police. Pradhan wondered why the police preferred to rough up and arrest a decorated Army officer when the latter approached them to file a complaint. “Why did the police not install CCTV cameras on its premises which is a mandatory practice as per the Supreme Court ruling,” he asked. “They have not only violated the Supreme Court directive but also breaking rules and regulations at will. They are damaging the name of police and the uniform,” he added. He said if an Army personnel is facing such a situation what about common man. “Such incident will discourage youngsters from joining the Army,” he said adding, “Surprisingly the Army top brass is silent even when such heinous incidents are happening to officers who are dedicating their lives for the country.”
According to reports, Major Singh and Ankita were subjected to brutal assault by on-duty cops at Bharatpur police station who approached them to register a complaint of road rage in the wee hours of Sunday. The duo was travelling in a car late Saturday night when they had a close shave from a rashly-driven vehicle. Upon intercepting the rouge vehicle, 8-10 miscreants came out of it and misbehaved with them before speeding off. Gurvansh said when the cops misbehaved with them and asked him to lodge a written complaint he asked them to nab the culprits without wasting time. He also alleged that three female cops dragged his friend inside a cell and disrobed her. He too was beaten up by a cop when he protested.