The Odisha Police Crime Branch registered a case on Friday related to the alleged sexual assault of an army officer’s fiancée while in police custody, a senior officer revealed. The case has been lodged against five police personnel from the Bharatpur Police Station in Bhubaneswar, including former inspector-in-charge Dinakrushna Mishra, sub-inspectors Baisalini Panda, Salilamayee Sahoo, Sagarika Rath, and constable Balaram Hansda.
The five officers were suspended on Wednesday in connection with the incident, which also involved the assault of the army officer. The Odisha Police Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania issued the suspension order on the grounds of gross misconduct, news agency PTI reported.
The couple had approached the Bharatpur Police Station early on Sunday to report a road rage incident, where they claimed to have been harassed by local youths. However, an altercation ensued between the couple and the police over the filing of an FIR. The woman, who was subsequently arrested on charges of misbehaving with police personnel, alleged that she was sexually assaulted after being taken into custody.
In her statement, the woman, currently receiving treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, recounted the horrifying details, saying that two female officers began physically assaulting her after she protested the unlawful detention of her fiancée. "When I raised my voice, they started physically assaulting me," she said, adding that she fought back, even biting one officer who tried to strangle her, as per PTI's report.
She further alleged that she was tied up in a room when a male officer later entered and kicked her in the chest, lowered her pants, and indecently exposed himself, demanding, “How much time you want to remain silent?”
According to news agency ANI, she told the media, "A female officer came and pulled me by my hair and when I tried to get up, a lady joined them and slapped me and 3 lady officers dragged me. I tried to fight them but another lady officer tried to strangle me. A male officer kept seeing all of this. He later tied my hands with my jacket and my legs with the scarf of a lady constable and put me inside a room. Two male officers were standing on my hands and another officer was standing on my legs and a female officer kept kicking me on my chest and body."
"The inspector in charge of the police station came at around 6 am. I told him since you are a senior I need to tell you all that has happened in the last few hours. Then the inspector kicked me in my face and a lady officer pulled down my pants. After that, the inspector removed his shirt, lowered his pants and exposed his private parts in front of my face. I lost all hope after that and kept shouting. After some time, my fiancé came and untied me," she remarked.
Commenting on the police personnel's suspension, the victim's father told ANI, "Five police officials have been suspended for the heinous crime they have committed but suspension for them is not enough. It is necessary to terminate them from their services. They should go to jail. This is what we are demanding from the government...It is our request from the government that the police should be trained, they should be sensitised so that they can take care of the people who are coming and not beat them up..."
The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident, demanding an action-taken report from the DGP.
"Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the National Commission for Women sought an action taken report from the DGP.A formal letter has been sent to the DGP, requesting an action taken report within 3 days. Urgent disciplinary action is expected, the NCW posted on X.
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi Assures 'Strong Action' Against Culprits
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday assured that his government would take stringent action against those involved in the alleged torture of an army officer and sexual assault of his fiancee.
According to PTI, Majhi said, "The state government has already ordered a Crime Branch inquiry into the incident, suspended the accused police personnel and also registered a case against them."
The Chief Minister, who is also in charge of the home department, remarked that his government would not hesitate to take "strong action" the culprits involved in the case. "The government has been taking all steps required in the case. There should be no worries over it. The government is fully aware about the incident and will take strong action in the case," he stressed.
In a post on X, Odisha Chief Minister's Office stated, "The government has taken the allegations of misbehaviour and assault against an Army officer and a woman accompanying him at the Bharatpur police station very seriously. As soon as the incident came to the notice of the government, appropriate departmental actions as per law were immediately initiated. As the incident is very sensitive, the Crime Branch has been directed to investigate the matter immediately and submit a report within a stipulated time frame."
"After the investigation report is received, the guilty will be punished as per the law. The government has a 'zero tolerance' policy towards violence against women and harassment of women in any form will not be tolerated," the post read.
BJD President Naveen Patnaik Demands SIT Probe And Judicial Inquiry, Congress Calls BJP Govt 'Talibani'
The incident has drawn severe criticism from the opposition. Former Odisha chief minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik condemned the incident, calling it “very shocking.” He demanded both a court-monitored SIT probe and a judicial inquiry into the assault. “The way an Army Major and a lady were treated in Bharatpur Police Station is shocking and beyond comprehension. This has shaken the conscience of the country,” Patnaik stated.
Patnaik also criticised the ruling BJP government, accusing it of incompetence in handling the situation. "This heinous act must be met with the strongest possible action," he emphasised, demanding swift justice.
In a press conference, BJD leader and Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das announced that the party would stage a demonstration outside the Raj Bhavan on Saturday. “We will submit a memorandum to the President of India, who is also a woman,” Das declared, as quoted by PTI.
Congress leaders Sonali Sahu and Maisha Das also launched a scathing attack on the BJP government, labelling it as a "Talibani government." They strongly condemned the assault on the army officer’s fiancée and demanded accountability.
The Congress also took a swipe at the NCW alleging that "they don't pay any cognisance of crimes that happen against women in BJP-ruled states"
"The NCW has had no role to play in the lives of women of this country, and it has become the frontal organisation of the BJP. They only look into issues that happen in opposition-ruled states, and they don't pay any cognisance of crimes that happen against women in BJP-ruled states. What has happened in Odisha is very, very worrying. A woman was eve teased, she went to the police station, seeking security and that is where she was sexually exploited," Supriya Shrinate told PTI.
Meanwhile, women’s rights activists held a dharna outside the Police Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Friday, calling for the arrest of the accused officers. They expressed outrage over the police’s alleged misconduct and demanded justice for the victim.
Patnaik, taking to X (formerly Twitter), also pointed out that the incident reflects the broader failures of the BJP government in the state. He lamented the suspension of the "Mo Sarkar" initiative, a feedback system that enabled citizens to report their experiences with government offices, including police stations.
“This government has stopped pro-people initiatives like Mo Sarkar, and the consequences are visible,” Patnaik remarked. He further referred to a past incident where the BJP allegedly refused to take action against a governor’s son involved in a case of assault, stating that such failures have emboldened others.
Patnaik reiterated his call for a judicial inquiry and a court-monitored SIT probe into the sexual assault case, emphasising the urgency of holding those responsible accountable.