Bhubaneswar: The opposition BJD called Bhubaneswar bandh Tuesday, protesting the alleged assault of an Army officer and his fiancée in police custody.
Addressing a press conference Sunday, BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo said the bandh will be held for six hours from 6am till noon.
BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said, “Our party president, Naveen Patnaik, is shocked over the incident. The custodial torture and sexual assault incident has shamed Odisha. The bandh will be observed to intensify the protest against police brutality. After much discussion, we have decided to call for the six-hour bandh in Bhubaneswar.”
Patnaik Friday demanded a court-monitored SIT probe and a judicial inquiry into the matter.
The BJD has also submitted a memorandum addressed to President Dorupadi Murmu and sought her intervention.
The Army officer and his fiancée were allegedly assaulted when they went to the Bharatpur Police Station to lodge an FIR after they were harassed in an incident of road rage.
The fiancée claimed she was sexually abused after being arrested by the police who alleged she misbehaved with on-duty officers. She also alleged that the Army officer was illegally detained and tortured.
PTI