CM Majhi orders judicial probe into Bharatpur Police Station incident

    Bhubaneswar, September 23, 2024: Finally on the ‘sexual assault’ on the fiancée and illegal detention of an Army officer at Bharatpur Police Station in Bhubaneswar, the Odisha Government has ordered a judicial probe by a retired High Court judge.

     Justice Chittaranjan Dash, a retired high court judge, has been appointed as one man Commission of inquiry to probe the incident, sources said.

     The Judicial Commission will submit its report within 60 days, they added.

    The Commission will examine the sequence of events and circumstances, as well as the role, conduct and accountability of individuals and authorities, they said.

     The commission will suggest measures to be taken to avoid the recurrence of such events in future, and ensuring safety and security of women, the sources said after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged “sexual assault” of his fiancée and torture of an army officer at a police station here.

    Meanwhile, the army officer, his fiancée and her father also met CM Majhi at the state secretariat here.

    Meanwhile, the state government has also requested the Orissa High Court to supervise the investigation being carried out by the Crime Branch of the Odisha Police, reports said adding the chief minister has also said that the Odisha government is committed to taking strict action against all persons or officials who are found guilty.

    The Odisha government has suspended five personnel of the Bharatpur police station, and registered a case against them for alleged “torturing the army officer and sexually harassing his fiancée”.

    The alleged incident took place on September 15 when the army officer posted in West Bengal and his fiancée approached Bharatpur police station to lodge a complaint of road rage in which they were allegedly harassed by some local youths.

    It is alleged when they went to the Police station for lodging of FIR they were allegedly assaulted and illegally detained by the policemen.