Bhubaneswar, Sep 20 (UNI) Former Odisha Chief Minister and leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Friday demanded a court monitored SIT probe and a judicial inquiry into a grave incident against an army major and the lady inside the Bharatpur police station on Sunday last.

The way an Army Major and a lady were treated in Bharatpur police station is shocking and beyond comprehension,Patnaik said .

The manner in which police have allegedly treated them has shaken the conscience of the country. This has happened to a serving Army officer and a lady within Odisha,the BJD President said.

Patnaik said the BJD strongly condemns this heinous act and expects the BJP government to take the strongest possible action against all those involved.

He said “During our government we had the system of Mo Sarkar in which the Chief Minister, Ministers and senior officers would call the citizens to take feedback on their visits to government offices including police stations and hospitals , - whether they were treated with dignity and professional conduct .

This BJP government, Patnaik said, has immediately stopped the pro people initiative of Mo Sarkar and the consequences are visible.

The day, the BJP government refused to take action against the Governor’s son on a serious case of assault , others got emboldened, the leader of Opposition said

“I still urge for action to be taken by this government against the Governor’s son and demand a court monitored SIT probe and a judicial inquiry into this grave incident against an Army Major and the lady”,Patnaik remarked.
Describing the incident as highly condemnable, the BJD President stated, "We demand a full judicial probe into the unfortunate incident, and swift, strong action must be taken against the police personnel involved."
Odisha DGP Y.B. Khurania on Wednesday suspended five police personnel, including the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of Bharatpur Police Station, in connection with the alleged assault of Army Major Gurvansh Singh and his fiancée on Sunday.
The five suspended officers include Bharatpur Police Station IIC Dinakrushna Mishra, Sub-Inspector (SI) Baisalini Panda, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Salilamayee Sahoo, ASI Sagarika Rath, and Constable Balaram Handa.
The DGP had already ordered a Crime Branch inquiry into the incident after the Indian Army intervened and took serious note of the assault on the Army Major and his fiancée.
The Crime Branch has since filed a criminal case and summoned the five suspended officers for interrogation. The case was registered following a formal complaint lodged by Major Gurvansh Singh of the Sikh Regiment with the Crime Branch.
Patnaik also criticized the incompetence of the BJP government in handling law and order in the state, citing this incident as well as a recent case involving the alleged assault of a government official by the son of the Odisha Governor.
Patnaik expressed deep concern, stating, "It deeply saddens me that the fiancée of an Army Major was sexually assaulted inside a police station. This incident highlights the inefficiency of the BJP government, which has completed 100 days in power."
The incident occurred on September 15 around 1 AM when Major Singh and his fiancée went to Bharatpur Police Station to lodge a complaint against some youths who had harassed them while they were returning home.
On Wednesday, several retired Army personnel staged a rally outside the Commissioner of Police’s office, demanding a judicial inquiry into the incident. They also called for criminal charges against the accused police officers and stern action to be taken.
In his complaint, Major Gurvansh Singh alleged that female police officers abused his fiancée, dragged her into a cell, tied her hands, and brutally assaulted her. He further claimed that when he protested, he was also beaten and locked up.
However, police arrested the Army Major's fiancée, accusing her of attacking female police officers inside the station and subsequently forwarded her to court.
Police sources claimed that the Army Major and his fiancée had misbehaved with the officers when asked to register their complaint, a claim dismissed by retired Army personnel as false and fabricated to cover up the assault.
On Thursday, the Orissa High Court granted bail to the Army Major's fiancée and questioned the behavior and actions of the police during her detention.
Following the Army's intervention, Major Singh was released, and a medical examination of his fiancée was conducted after he alleged that she had been sexually assaulted inside the police station.
After a health check-up at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Major Singh's fiancée told reporters that she had been physically and sexually assaulted by on-duty police officers, including the IIC.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from Odisha DGP Y.B. Khurania on the incident.
Former State Chief Secretary Bijaya Patnaik questioned why no action had been taken against the accused police officers even after a Crime Branch inquiry was ordered. He further stated that mere suspension was insufficient for such a heinous crime and demanded strict punishment for those involved.
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