BJD declares six-hour lockdown in Bhubaneswar over ‘attack’ on army officer and fiancée

Bhubaneswar: The opposition BJD on Tuesday called for a shutdown of Bhubaneswar to protest against the alleged attack on an army officer and his fiancée in police custody.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, BJD MP Arun Kumar Sahoo said the hartal would be held for six hours from 6 am to 12 noon.

BJD vice president Debi Prasad Mishra said, “Our party president Naveen Patnaik is shocked by the incident. The incident of torture and sexual assault in custody has brought shame to Odisha. The strike is to strengthen the protest against police brutality. After long discussions, we have decided to call for a six-hour strike in Bhubaneswar.” Patnaik on Friday demanded a court-monitored SIT inquiry and a judicial probe into the matter.

The BJD has also submitted a memorandum to President Dorupadi Murmu seeking her intervention.

The army officer and his fiancée were allegedly attacked when they went to the Bharatpur police station to file a complaint after being harassed in an incident of road rage.

The fiancée claimed that she was sexually assaulted after being arrested by the police. The police claimed that she misbehaved with officers on duty. She also claimed that the army officer was illegally detained and tortured.