Four days in, Odisha Crime Branch begins search for miscreants involved in abuse of Army officer and fiancée

Miscreants who harassed army officer and his fiancée in the dead of night appeared to have gone scot-free as police delayed launching an investigation

Four days after an Army officer and his fiancée were harassed late at night in Bhubaneswar, the Crime Branch of Odisha Police has launched a search for the miscreants accused of reckless driving and threatening the couple.

“The Crime Branch has launched a separate investigation into the road rage incident following a formal complaint lodged on September 18. I have instructed the Crime Branch to handle the case independently, without linking it to the events that occurred at the police station,” Y.B. Khurania, Director General of Police told The Hindu.

The Army officer had gone to Bharatpur police station of Bhubaneswar to lodge a complaint about harassment by a group of people on September 15. However, instead of attending to their complaint and swiftly taking action, police personnel detained the officer and arrested his fiancée after brutally assaulted her.

Police sources said the investigation could not he launched into harassment case as no formal complaint could be lodged in the police station. In its statement on Sunday, Bhubaneswar police said they had seized ‘an incomplete written report’ from Army officer.

In his complaint lodged by the officer, he mentioned about 10 to 12 miscreants who came in three cars and stopped his car. They scuffled with the couple, assaulted him and threatened them of dire consequences near Pathargadia area without reason.

The Army officer provided OD-14J-0455, registration number of one of the three cars which he remembered.

It needs to be mentioned that the couple had pleaded before Bharatpur police station personnel to send a Police Control Room (PCR) vehicle to Pathargadia area immediately. However, police personnel had allegedly given cold shoulder to their plea leading to heated exchange of words. And things had gone out of control.

Published - September 19, 2024 11:14 pm IST