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Five police officers from Bharatpur Police Station in Bhubaneswar have been suspended following allegations of assault and molestation of a serving Indian Army Major and the daughter of a senior Army officer.
The incident has sparked outrage among retired army officials, who are demanding stronger action against the accused. The incident reportedly took place when the Army Major and the woman went to the Bharatpur police station to complain against some miscreants who had harassed them while returning from a hotel late at night. Instead of addressing their concerns, the police allegedly tortured the Major and the woman, even sending her to jail without any justification. Retired Armed Forces officers, under the leadership of Brigadier Antaryami Pradhan, President of the Ex-Servicemen Association of Odisha, staged a protest, calling for criminal proceedings against the accused police personnel. Speaking to reporters, Brigadier Pradhan said, "Such misbehaviour with a serving Army Major and the daughter of a senior Army officer by the police is unacceptable. The suspension of the five cops is not enough, as they will be reinstated later. Criminal proceedings against the accused police officials must be initiated." A team from the Ex-Servicemen Association met the Commissioner of Police (CP) at his camp office and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident. Brigadier Pradhan shared that the police commissioner was cooperative and assured further disciplinary action. "The Commissioner agreed that the policemen committed a crime and the personnel responsible have been suspended. However, the disciplinary action is under the Directorate General of Police (DGP). Once the disciplinary action is complete, criminal proceedings will begin, and we will ensure that the culprits are penalised and jailed," Pradhan added. The retired officer further revealed that the woman was severely injured. "The girl is in a bad state. Her jaw is dislocated, and a tooth is broken. She is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar," Brigadier Pradhan said. This incident marks the first time in Odisha that Army officers and their families have staged a protest, gherao the office of the Police Commissioner in Bhubaneswar. The protesters claimed that the police had been misbehaving with the public for the last 24 years, even citing an incident where the current Chief Minister was mistreated when he was a standing MLA. They protestors added that police behaviour must change to prevent such incidents in the future. (ANI)
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