Odisha Police Arrest Seven in Assault Case Involving Army Officer and Fiancée

Seven individuals were arrested by Odisha police after an Army officer and his fiancée were reportedly assaulted by miscreants. The government has suspended five police officials and called for a judicial probe into the matter.

The Odisha police on Thursday apprehended seven suspects following an alleged assault on an Army officer and his fiancée while they were returning from a hotel late at night. According to Additional DCP Krushna Prasad Dash, a case has been registered under several sections of the BNS.

"During the investigation, we have recovered a vehicle and 11 mobile phones from the accused. Seven of them have been arrested and presented before the court. We have also obtained a video and audio clip, which are currently being examined," stated Dash. The arrested suspects include Rakesh Naik, Abhilash Sawant, Aman Kumar, Aditya Ranjan Behra, Akash Padhiyari, Harish Manta, and Ashish Kumar. Further investigations are ongoing.

The incident allegedly occurred on September 15, when the Army Major and his fiancée visited the Bharatpur police station to file a complaint against miscreants who had harassed them. Rather than addressing their concerns, the police reportedly subjected the Major to torture and wrongfully detained the woman. On Friday, the Odisha government reiterated its 'zero tolerance' stance on violence against women and launched an inquiry into the incident.

The Chief Minister's Office issued a statement affirming that necessary steps and departmental actions have been taken. "The government has taken the allegations of misconduct and assault against the army officer and the woman at Bharatpur police station seriously. As soon as the incident was brought to the government's attention, actions were taken according to the law," the statement read.

In relation to the incident, the state government has suspended five police officials, including the Inspector in Charge of Bharatpur police station, and ordered a Crime Branch investigation. Former Chief Minister of Odisha and Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik has also demanded a judicial probe into the incident while criticizing the BJP government for halting certain initiatives aimed at the populace.

(With inputs from agencies.)