BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik Criticizes BJP Government Over Assault Incident at Bharatpur Police Station

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], October 2: After an Army officer and his fiancée were allegedly assaulted at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Chief and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik strongly criticized the BJP government. He said, “Within three months of the BJP government, women are not safe, even in a police station.”

Patnaik also mentioned, “During our government, 70 percent of poverty was eradicated from Odisha. But within three months of the BJP government, women are not safe, even in a police station.”

A judicial commission, headed by retired Orissa High Court Judge Justice Chittaranjan Das, commenced its investigation into the incident on Monday. According to an official press release, the commission has initiated an investigation into the alleged torture of an Army officer and the sexual assault of his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar.

Providing details about the probe, Suvendu Mohanty, Secretary of the Judicial Commission in Cuttack, stated that the state government has formed a commission to investigate the incident at Bharatpur police station and the allegations made by the police. “The state government has constituted a commission of inquiry to investigate the incidents at Bharatpur police station, where an Army officer and his fiancée were assaulted. There are also counter-allegations from the police. All these matters will be investigated by the commission, which has invited affidavits from those affected and from the general public. Anyone directly or indirectly involved can submit affidavits, after which they will be summoned to provide evidence,” Judicial Commission Secretary Mohanty said.

The incident occurred on September 15 when the Army Major and the woman visited Bharatpur police station to file a complaint against miscreants who had harassed them while returning from a hotel late at night. Instead of addressing their concerns, the police allegedly tortured the Major and the woman, even sending her to jail without justification.

Last week, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan met the woman who was allegedly assaulted, at Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. In response to the incident, the state government suspended five police officials, including the Inspector in Charge (IIC) of Bharatpur police station, and ordered a Crime Branch probe.