Bhubaneswar: While the case of alleged sexual assault of a woman and assault on her friend from the Indian Army at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar grabbed national attention, it appears to have taken an about turn Saturday after several video clips involving the ‘victim’ went viral on social media.
The clips show that prior to her approaching the police, the woman had a few minutes of heated exchanges with a group of youths on road, and she was seen speaking in an insolent and aggressive manner. She spoke the same way with the officials at Bharatpur police station and dared the on-duty cops to record the happenings, saying she too had dispatched a recorded video to police headquarters.
A few other purported viral videos suggest that she was behaving aggressively, possibly under the influence of some intoxicant when she and her friend were at the police station.
The slurry of videos surfacing on various social media platforms after they were shared over messaging apps has triggered a debate among netizens sharing their thoughts variedly.
While some have come to the rescue of the law enforcers, others decry the police action against the woman and her Army officer friend.
Here are a few posts.
Himashu Sekhar took to X to write: “A serving Indian Army officer goes to a police station with his female friend to lodge a complaint. They were assaulted by the police inspector and slapped with a case. Absurd! Yes, this has happened in Bharatpur police station, Odisha. This is how Defence guys are respected here.”
Another ‘X’ user, Saswat Panigrahi, said, “More skeletons are tumbling out of the closet in Odisha’s Bharatpur PS case. Video footage, featuring Army Major’s fiancée, are in circulation and they are being played by some select media outlets with a clear intent to assassin the lady’s character.”
More skeletons are tumbling out of the closet in Odisha’s Bharatpur PS case. Video footage, featuring Army Major’s fiancee,
are in circulation and they are being played by some select media outlets with a clear intent to assassin the lady’s character. #BharatpurPS#Thread— Saswat Panigrahi (@SaswatPanigrahi) September 21, 2024
“Army officer along with girl were drunk, people caught them and they started abusing and fighting. Both refused to give blood samples for alcohol tests,” said another netizen in a post on X.
“We all can see who’s loud, who’s clear and who’s being humble: Speaks why she refused for blood test,” said another netizen.
Rana Sangha said, “Under BJP rule, police has become more dangerous than street goons. This’s coz dey enjoy pol patronage. In Odisha’s Bharatpur police stn, what happened 2 the daughter of a retired Brigadier, is beyond imagination. This requires strictest matching punishment to d guilty!”
Meanwhile, the purported bill of a nightclub, where the woman and her Army friend were seen hanging around Saturday night, has been circulated over social media, claiming that the duo had ordered alcoholic drinks, food and beverages worth Rs 4,854. The bill was eventually paid by the Army officer.
Another viral CCTV footage inside the club on the same night shows the duo was present till 2am.
PNN