Odisha Crime Branch to probe alleged assault of Army officer at police station

Bhubaneswar: Crime Branch of Odisha Police will investigate the alleged assault of an army officer and ‘molestation’ of his woman friend at a police station in Bhubaneswar, an official said Tuesday.

The alleged incident took place at Bharatput police station early Sunday morning when the army officer and his woman friend had come to lodge an FIR of road rage.

The army officer, posted in West Bengal, and his woman friend were allegedly assaulted by on-duty cops at Bharatpur police station when they requested to expedite the case. They also accused the police of attempting to cover up their wrongdoings by releasing a statement falsely accusing them of assaulting and misbehaving with their staff.

The army officer was allegedly kept in the lockup and his woman friend was taken to a secluded room by a female officer, where she was allegedly assaulted, stripped and molested. The army officer was detained for over 10 hours before being released following intervention by Army authorities, the FIR further alleged.

“I assume full control over the investigation of Bharatpur PS case dated 15.09.2014……..and depute Narendra Kumar Behera, DSP, CID, Crime Branch, Cuttack to take up investigation of the case and other such cases registered in that connection,” additional DGP, Crime Branch, Arun Bothra said in an order.

According to police, the army officer and his friend had rushed to Bharatpur police station at around 3am Monday to seek immediate action against a group of hooligans who had abused and assaulted them.

Additional DCP Suresh Chandra Patra said they reached the police station in an inappropriate condition. When they approached the police station, the staff asked them to lodge a written application against the hooligans who had harassed them on the road.

“However, the duo started arguing with our staff and refused to lodge any complaint. They misbehaved with our staff including lady cops,” Patra told mediapersons.

The Bharatpur police registered a case in this connection and arrested the woman friend of the army officer. The officer was served a notice and let off, the police said.

The army, however, alleged that police assaulted the army officer and took this matter with the state authorities.

Following the incident, the Central Command, Indian Army, in a post on X said, “An incident of manhandling of an Army officer by police station, Bharatpur, #Orissa has been reported in the media. #IndianArmy takes a serious view of the incidence. Necessary action has been taken up with the state authorities.”

Now, the Odisha police have handed over the case to Crime Branch for proper investigation into the case, a police officer said.

PTI