Assault on Army officer and his fiancée by Bharatpur Police: Odisha CM orders judicial probe

Bhubaneswar, Sept 23: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday ordered a judicial probe into the alleged assault on an Army Captain and his fiancée by Bharatpur Police.

Following a high-level meeting in the Lok Seva Bhawan today, it was decided to hand over the probe of the sensitive case to an independent judicial panel led by a high-court Judge.

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The state government is deeply concerned regarding the misbehaviour/assault on a woman and a serving Army officer inside Bharatpur police station. This being a matter of serious public importance, should be inquired into by a Commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, a Home Department notification said.

"The State Government do hereby appoint a Commission of Inquiry consisting honourable Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash, retired High Court Judge, to enquire into and report in respect of the following matters within 60 days from the publication of this notification," the Home Department notification read.

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Earlier, the CM had ordered a CID Crime Branch Investigation into the matter. On the basis of the agency’s investigation as many as five cops including the IIC of Bharatpur police staion and two women ASIs, were put under suspension.

Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition(LoP) and former CM Naveen Patnaik demanded a judicial investigation into the matter while the BJD called a 6-hour Bhubaneswar Bandh protesting the brutality of the police on the captain and sexual assault of his fiancée.

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Following this,an urgent meeting was convened wherein Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, and senior officers of the government attended  and opined in favor of the judicial probe.