Naveen Patnaik Demands Judicial Probe into Alleged Police Assault on Army Officer and Fiancée

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has called for a judicial inquiry into the alleged assault and sexual abuse of an Indian Army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station. He criticized the current government for inaction and demanded swift measures against the involved officers.

Former Chief Minister of Odisha and Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, has urged a judicial investigation into the alleged assault of an Indian Army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station. Patnaik emphasized the urgency of addressing accusations of violence and sexual assault that took place when the couple visited the police station to file a harassment complaint.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Patnaik stated, 'Regarding the violence meted out to both of them and the alleged sexual assault on the major's fiancée, we demand a full judicial inquiry into this matter, and action must be taken very quickly.' The reported incident happened on September 15, when the Army Major and his fiancée sought help after facing harassment from miscreants. Instead, they were allegedly tortured by police, and the woman was unjustifiably detained.

Patnaik criticized the ruling BJP government for not taking sufficient steps to address public grievances. He recalled past practices during his tenure where complaints against the police were directly handled by him and his ministers. 'The BJP has been in power for more than 100 days; they have had ample time to address such issues. In our time, we actively monitored police actions based on public complaints,' Patnaik remarked.

Earlier, the woman's father demanded the dismissal and imprisonment of the officers involved in the alleged assault. 'Five officers have been suspended, but that's not enough. They must be terminated and jailed. We also urge the government to better train police officers to treat citizens properly,' he asserted.

The woman further alleged that she faced sexual abuse by the inspector-in-charge and physical assault by male officers. 'When the ACP arrived, he shouted at us instead of helping. At the hospital, tests showed my jaw and teeth were broken. Later, I was falsely accused of assaulting police officials and taken away under unclear circumstances,' she recounted.

(With inputs from agencies.)