Judicial probe ordered into alleged sexual assault on army captain’s fiancee

Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that high court judge Chittaranjan Dash will probe the alleged sexual assault charges and submit a report within 60 days

Published on: Sep 23, 2024, 09:17:48 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Odisha government has ordered a judicial probe into the alleged sexual assault on the 32-year-old fiancee of an army captain at a Bhubaneswar police station amid growing outrage over the incident.

Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered the probe. (X)

Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that retired high court judge Chittaranjan Dash will probe the case and submit a report within 60 days. He said a high court judge will also monitor the Criminal Investigation Department’s ongoing probe.

“The police personnel involved in the incident have been suspended and criminal cases have been filed against them. Cases have been registered against the youths involved in the brawl [before the alleged assault]. The state government will ensure that the guilty are punished,” he said.

Majhi said the guilty would not be spared. “Odisha government is committed to safety, security, rights, and dignity of women and respect the army,” said Majhi after chairing a meeting late on Sunday with his top minister and officials.

Earlier in the day Majhi’s deputies KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida and ministers Suresh Pujari and Prithiviraj Harichandan met the captain, his fiancee, her father and ex-servicemen.

The 32-year-old last week alleged that police personnel at the Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar sexually assaulted, thrashed, kicked, and dragged her. She accused a police inspector of molesting and flashing at her.

The woman, a lawyer who runs a restaurant in Bhubaneswar, said they went to the Bharatpur police station to register a case against a dozen people who got into a fight with them.

The captain in his First Information Report alleged he was illegally detained while his fiancee was sexually assaulted before being arrested.

On Saturday, seven engineering students were arrested for allegedly attacking the captain and his fiancee. They were granted bail within four hours.

The alleged assault triggered outrage. Former army chiefs VP Malik and VK Singh were among those who demanded action.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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