LoP Patnaik demands judicial probe into police assault on Army officer, woman

Bhubaneswar, Sep 20 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Friday demanded a judicial enquiry into the alleged assault on an Army officer and his wife-to-be in Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar in the wee hours of September 15.

LoP Patnaik stated that the recent physical assault on an Army officer and the alleged molestation of his betrothed at a police station in Bhubaneswar was very shocking.

“This is very, very shocking news of the violence meted out to both of them and the alleged sexual assault on the Major’s fiancee. We demand a full judicial enquiry into this matter and action must be taken very quickly,” demanded Patnaik on Friday. While answering a question over the non-installation of CCTV cameras in the Bharatpur Police station, a model police station inaugurated during the previous Biju Janata Dal government led by Patnaik himself, the LoP stated that the BJP which has already completed more than 100 days in office had enough time to look into this.

“During our government, we had a programme, where I and my ministers would ring up police stations to ask if there were any complaints from the people who visited the police stations,” Patnaik added.

The Opposition BJD on Friday also held a press conference on the issue.

The party asked the Odisha government to order a judicial probe or constitute a court-monitored Special Investigation Team for a probe into the matter.

The BJD demanded stringent action against the erring cops.

The party questioned that when an Army officer and his lady friend were not safe in Odisha then what about the common man?

The party announced that it would hold a protest before the Governor’s house on Saturday.

Later, a memorandum will also be submitted to the President of India Droupadi Murmu.

Taking a swipe at LoP Patnaik over his statement, the Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said, “Hundreds of women were tortured and allegations were raised over the involvement of several BJD leaders during Naveen Babu’s rule. You didn’t follow Raja Dharma then and now you have started giving lectures to a government that just completed 100 days. Our government has a zero tolerance policy towards incidents of atrocities against women. Action will be taken against whoever is found guilty.”

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress also held a press meet here on Friday and alleged that the incident maligned the image of Odisha in India and on the world stage.

The party stated that women were not safe in Odisha under the Mohan Majhi-led government.

Notably, the Army officer attached to the 22nd battalion of the Sikh Regiment of Indian Army in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, who had gone to Bharatpur Police station in Bhubaneswar to file an FIR over a road rage incident, was allegedly assaulted by the on-duty cops there on September 15.

His fiancee was also allegedly sexually harassed by some male cops including the then IIC of the police station.

–IANS

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