Odisha Assault Case: Prestige of Army officer demeaned, dignity of his fiancee outraged by police: Lt General PS Shekhawat seeks Orissa HC Chief Justice intervention

General Officer Commanding and Colonel of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment Lt General PS Shekhawat on Friday sought the intervention of the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court in connection with the alleged assault of an Indian Army officer of the Sikh Regiment Major Gurvansh Singh and sexual harassment of his fiancee at the Bharatpur Police Station in Bhubaneswar.

In his letter, the Lt General said a grave incident occurred at Bharatpur Police Station on September 15, where the prestige of a serving Army Officer was demeaned and the modesty and dignity of his fiancee, who also happens to the daughter of a retired Brigadier, was grossly outraged by the police authorities.

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Drawing the attention of the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court over the incident, the Lt General wrote, “On the day of the incident, the Army Officer and his fiancé went to the police station to file a complaint against miscreants who had misbehaved with the couple. Instead of extending the expected protection and support, the officers on duty acted in a manner unbecoming of their position. They not only humiliated the lady but also molested her and also disrespected the Army Officer by putting him under custody without any charge for almost 14 hours.”

“The medical inspection of the lady also indicates grave injuries, which point to manhandling by the police personnel. The Bharatpur Police Station doesn’t have a CCTV installed which is a violative of the Supreme Court’s directions. The police actions and their purported statements are manipulative and aimed at concealing the police brutality on the lady and the officer,” the letter added.