Five officers from Bharatpur Police Station in Bhubaneswar have been suspended following allegations of assault and molestation involving a serving Indian Army Major and the daughter of a senior Army officer. This incident has caused widespread anger among retired army officials, who are demanding more stringent actions against the officers involved.
The incident reportedly occurred when the Army Major and the woman visited the Bharatpur police station to file a complaint about some miscreants who had harassed them while they were returning from a hotel late at night. Instead of addressing their complaint, the police allegedly mistreated the Major and the woman, even detaining her without proper justification.
Retired Armed Forces officers, led by Brigadier Antaryami Pradhan, President of the Ex-Servicemen Association of Odisha, have protested, demanding criminal proceedings against the accused officers. Brigadier Pradhan stated, “Such behavior towards a serving Army Major and the daughter of a senior Army officer by the police is unacceptable. Suspending the five officers is insufficient, as they could be reinstated later. Criminal proceedings against them must be initiated.”
A team from the Ex-Servicemen Association met with the Commissioner of Police (CP) at his camp office, calling for a judicial inquiry into the incident. Brigadier Pradhan mentioned that the police commissioner was cooperative and assured that further disciplinary action would be taken.
“The Commissioner acknowledged that the policemen committed a crime, and the personnel involved have been suspended. However, disciplinary action is under the Directorate General of Police (DGP). Once this process is complete, criminal proceedings will begin. We are determined to ensure that the culprits are penalized and jailed,” Pradhan added.
Brigadier Pradhan also disclosed that the woman sustained serious injuries, saying, “The girl is in a bad state. Her jaw is dislocated, and a tooth is broken. She is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.”
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This is the first time in Odisha that Army officers and their families have protested and surrounded the office of the Police Commissioner in Bhubaneswar. The protesters claimed that the police have a history of mistreatment over the past 24 years, including an incident where the current Chief Minister was allegedly mistreated when he was an MLA. They emphasized that police conduct must change to prevent such incidents in the future.
