Odisha Assault Case: Indian Army officer of Sikh Regiment, his fiance 'molested' by Odisha Police; DGP orders probe

Odisha DGP on Tuesday ordered a Crime Branch investigation into the alleged police assault and arrest of an Army Major Gurvansh Singh’s girlfriend at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

As per reports, the Crime Branch has been asked by the Police DG to carry out a detailed investigation into the incident and submit a report. It has also been ordered to withdraw the complaint lodged against the Major’s girlfriend.

Following the instructions of the police DG, the crime branch team conducted an investigation at Bharatpur Police Station. A five-member team led by DSP Narendra Kumar Behera was learned to have quizzed the police station staff for four hours. However, the team had to return empty-handed as there was no CCTV camera installed in the police station and the IIC was absent. 

The statements of all the police personnel at the police station will be recorded, said the DSP. 

On the other hand, the High Court will hear the bail application of Gurvansh’s girlfriend tomorrow. She is in jail following her arrest. 

Meanwhile, the High Court has ordered to shift the victim immediately to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. 

It has been alleged that the Army officer and his girlfriend were brutally assaulted by on-duty cops at Bharatpur police station who they approached to register a complaint of road rage.

The Indian Army has taken up the matter seriously.

“An incident of manhandling of an Army officer by Police Station, Bharatpur, #Orissa has been reported in media. #IndianArmy takes a serious view of the incidence. Necessary action has been taken up with the state authorities,” wrote Surya Command of IA on social media account X (earlier known as Twitter).

As per the allegation, while the Army Major and his girlfriend were travelling in a car, they were obstructed and misbehaved by some miscreants. When the victims visited Bharatpur police station, they were misbehaved and brutally assaulted by the cops instead of registering the complaint. 

The Major was allegedly kept in the lockup and when his girlfriend voiced her protest, she was also brutally assaulted by the police. Even Bharatpur police station IIC allegedly threatened to rape her.

After coming to know about the development, Army intervened and subsequently, the Major was released and medical checkup of his girlfriend was conducted, As per the medical checkup report at Sum Hospital, the woman has been brutally assaulted.

However, it has been alleged that police has changed the medical report from a different hospital.

“How could one Army official and his girlfriend assault around 15 cops? Is it possible? They have done sexual assault on the girl, thrashed her with legs and given her third degree treatment at the police station. To be on safer side, they have filed a fabricated case as evident from the report. Our association will not support it anymore after coming to know that it is a fabricated case. The cops associated with the incident should be suspended immediately,” said Brigadier Antaryami Pradhan, President of former Army Officers’ Association.

In response to the allegations against the cops of Bharatpur police station, Bhubaneswar Additional DCP Suresh Chandra Patra said that the Army officer and his girlfriend misbehaved with police.

“The Major was not in appropriate condition when he came to the police station to file a complaint. When he was asked to lodge a formal complaint, he argued with the cops instead of doing it. They misbehaved with the cops including the lady officer,” said Patra.

Earlier, Bharatpur police had registered a case against the Army official and his girlfriend by alleging that four constables and a woman Sub Inspector were injured by their attack.

As per the allegation by police, Singh was in an inebriated condition and there were drugs in his vehicle.

Allegation of Army Major

Major Gurvansh alleged that the woman cops abused his girlfriend in a verbal spat and three women cops dragged his friend inside a cell and disrobed her.

“They tied her hands with a cloth and assaulted her repeatedly. When I protested, a cop thrashed me too. The IIC of Bharatpur police station came around 6.15 and abused her. A lady SI pulled the pants of Miss Ankita and IIC removed his pant threatening to rape her,” said Gurvansh adding that he was eventually rescued afterward by a few of his Army colleagues and was taken to SUM Hospital for medical check up.

IIC refutes allegations

However, Bharatput IIC Dinakrushna Mishra dismissed the allegations and said the duo misbehaved with the staff after reaching the police station in an intoxicated state.