NCW directs Odisha DGP to file ATR in assault case against Army officer

Bhubaneswar: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken cognizance of allegations of police assault on an Army Major and his girlfriend on September 15 at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar and has asked Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania for an Action Taken Report (ATR).

The DGP was requested to submit the ATR within three days.

“The National Commission for Women takes cognizance on its own initiative of allegations made by an Army officer and his girlfriend regarding custodial maltreatment by Odisha Police. A formal letter has been sent to the DGP asking her to submit a report on the action taken within 3 days. Urgent disciplinary action is expected,” NCW posted on its official 'X' account on Thursday.

According to reports, the army officer, attached to the 22nd Sikh Regiment in Kolkata, and his girlfriend had gone to the Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar to file a complaint against some miscreants over an incident of road rage.

Meanwhile, the police officials asked the army officer to submit a written complaint, but the army officer insisted that the policemen should arrest the culprits first and not wait for the written complaint. This allegedly led to an argument between the police, the army officer and his friend.

The army officer was allegedly beaten by police officers on duty, while three female police officers dragged his girlfriend into a cell and beat and harassed her at the police station.

Bharatpur police claimed that the army officer and his friend misbehaved and attacked the policewomen on duty in the early hours of September 15. The army officer's girlfriend also allegedly looted computers and other items from the police station.

The Bharatpur police later arrested the girlfriend by filing a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita and handed her over to the local court, while the army officer arrested by the police was released after serving a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Notably, following widespread reactions to the alleged police aggression, DGP Khurania on Wednesday suspended five police officials — former IIC of Bharatpur police station Dinakrushna Mishra, Sub-Inspector Baisalini Panda, two women ASIs Salilamayee Sahoo and Sagarika Rath, and Constable/1208 Balaram Hansda of the same police station for gross misconduct.

Following the instructions of the DGP, the Odisha Criminal Investigation Department also took over the investigation in the case.

(IANS)