The fiancée of an Army official on Friday claimed that she was sexually and physically assaulted by the police at Bhubaneswar’s Bharatpur police station in Odisha.
The woman revealed details of her ordeal a day after she was granted bail by the Odisha High Court.
But what was she granted bail for?
The couple’s nightmare began on September 14 while they were returning home late at night. They suddenly found themselves being chased by a group of youths following which the Army official and his fiancée rushed to the nearest police station to lodge a complaint.
“Around 1 am on September 15, when I was heading home after closing down my restaurant, a group of youths stopped our car and tried to scuffle with us. After we managed to get into the car, we went to the Bharatpur police station to lodge an FIR, where a lady constable was sitting at the reception wearing a nighty,” the woman said.
The Army official and his fiancée were later wrongfully taken into custody.
‘Dragged me by my hair, kicked me’
The woman said that the lady officer at the station’s reception refused to pay heed to their complaint and in turn misbehaved with the couple.
“When I tried to tell her that I am a lawyer and it’s her duty to file an FIR, she fumed at me. Moments later, another lady officer and other staff reached the police station in a patrol vehicle,” she said, adding that after a scuffle the police allowed the Army official to write a complaint.
However, he was immediately taken into custody.
When the woman tried to tell the officers that they could not put an Army official behind bars, she was dragged by her hair and assaulted by two lady officers.
After this, she was bound with scarves and her own jacket and put inside a room. “After some time, a male officer came and tried to kick me on my breasts continuously after removing my inner,” she recalled.
The woman further said that the inspector-in-charge, who came at 6 am the next day, flashed her and abused her in “filthy language.”
‘Locked up illegally’
Meanwhile, the Army official said that he was put in jail illegally at 3 am. He said that as he was writing the complaint, four police officers dragged him into one of the cells. They then took off his pants and took all of his belongings.
He also alleged that his fiancée was also sexually assaulted by the IIC.
“The IIC sexually harassed and molested my fiancée and I could hear the screams for 30 minutes,” he said.
Crime branch takes action
The Crime Branch of the Odisha Police has registered a case in connection with the alleged sexual assault case.
The case was registered against former Bharatpur Police Station inspector-in-charge Dinakrushna Mishra, sub-inspectors Baisalini Panda, Salilamayee Sahoo, Sagarika Rath and constable Balaram Hansda.
Notably, the Odisha Police had on Wednesday suspended the five personnel in connection with the alleged assault.
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