Justice Chittaranjan Das Leads Probe into Alleged Torture and Assault at Bharatpur Police Station
Khordha (Odisha) [India], October 1: A judicial commission led by retired Orissa High Court judge Justice Chittaranjan Das has started investigating the alleged torture of an Army officer and the sexual assault of his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar.
Details of the Investigation
Suvendu Mohanty, Secretary of the Judicial Commission in Cuttack, explained that the state government formed the commission to look into the incident and the allegations made by the police. The commission has invited affidavits from those affected and the general public. Anyone directly or indirectly involved can submit their statements and will be summoned to present evidence.
Incident Background
The incident took place on September 15 when the Army Major and his fiancée visited Bharatpur police station to file a complaint against miscreants who had harassed them. Instead of helping, the police allegedly tortured the Major and his fiancée, even sending her to jail without justification.
Government Response
Last week, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan met the woman who was allegedly assaulted. In response, the state government suspended five police officials, including the Inspector in Charge (IIC) of Bharatpur police station, and ordered a Crime Branch probe.
Doubts Revealed
Justice Chittaranjan Das -: Justice Chittaranjan Das is a retired judge from the Orissa High Court. He is now leading the investigation into the incident at the Bharatpur police station.
Judicial commission -: A judicial commission is a group of people, usually led by a judge, who investigate serious issues or incidents. They gather information and make recommendations.
Orissa High Court -: The Orissa High Court is the highest court in the Indian state of Odisha. It deals with important legal cases and decisions.
Bharatpur police station -: Bharatpur police station is a police station located in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. This is where the alleged incident took place.
Affidavits -: Affidavits are written statements made under oath. People affected by the incident can submit these to share their experiences and evidence.
Crime Branch probe -: A Crime Branch probe is an investigation carried out by a special division of the police that deals with serious crimes. They look into the details of the incident to find out what happened.