Odisha CID to probe assault allegations involving army officer, cops
People close to the army officer alleged that police roughed up and arrested him and his fiancée when they approached them to file a complaint
Two days after a serving officer of the Indian Army was detained and his fiancée arrested by police in Bhubaneswar on charges of assaulting cops on duty, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Odisha police took over the case amid counter allegations that the couple was assaulted by the cops.
CID additional director general Arun Bothra in a statement said that CID has deputed a DSP-ranked officer to take up the investigation of the case and other cases registered in that connection.
On the intervening night of September 14 and 15, Major Gurvansh Singh and his fiancée were detained over allegations that they misbehaved with police officers. While Singh was detained and then let off, his fiancée was arrested over allegations that she assaulted three women police officers of Bharatpur police station under Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police.
However, people familiar with the matter in the Army said the officer was manhandled by police and illegally detained when they approached the police to report hooliganism and unruly behaviour by miscreants.
They told HT that Major Singh and his fiancée were returning from the latter’s place of work in the city, when they were waylaid by unknown miscreants in three cars who indulged in hooliganism, abuse and assault before fleeing the scene.
“The couple immediately decided to approach Bharatpur Police Station to seek immediate action to nab the miscreants as they had been able to note one of the car registration numbers. However, the woman police official and other police persons on duty refused to act and asked them to first register the complaint in writing. The couple insisted on speaking to higher officials which presumably angered the police personnel on duty and led to a heated argument with the police,” a senior Army officer said on condition of anonymity.
The father of Singh’s fiancée, who is president of ex-servicemen association, alleged that the police had arranged a ‘false report’ from the Capital Hospital before producing his daughter in the court. “The police should immediately release the actual medical examination report which would prove how brutally my daughter was assaulted by them,” said retired Brigadier Antaryami Pradhan.
“Why the police preferred to rough up and arrest a decorated Army officer when the latter approached them to file a complaint. Why did the police not install CCTV cameras on the station premises which is a mandatory practice as per the Supreme Court ruling. They have not only violated the Supreme Court directive, but also broken rules and regulations at will. They are damaging the name of police and the uniform,” he said.
The army office was granted bail. His fiancée was produced before a local court for remand.