Details emerge of Army officer’s complaint of Odisha inspector molesting his fiancée at police station

“The inspector-in-charge upon arrival [at the police station] sexually harassed and molested my fiancée and I could hear the screams for 30 minutes,” he stated in the complaint.

The army officer, who was subjected to alleged illegal detention in a police station in Bhubaneswar, levelled grave charges by accusing the inspector-in-charge (IIC) of the station of molesting his fiancée and other on-duty police personnel of stripping and assaulting her in custody.

In a complaint to Odisha’s Additional Director General of Police (Crime Branch) filed on Wednesday (September 18, 2024) — a copy of which is now with The Hindu — the officer recounted the events of the night of September 15.

The officer, a captain in the Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army, along with his fiancée had gone to Bharatpur police station to lodge a complaint against 10 to 12 miscreants, who came in three cars, stopped his car, scuffled with them, assaulted him and threatened them of dire consequences near Pathargadia area of the city, without any reason.

“The police station had one constable and an on-duty woman assistant sub-inspector of police, who refused to listen to our complaint and provide protection to us for going back home. Later the police patrol came back and I approached the sub-inspector who was in-charge at the time to register an FIR,” he narrated.

“Whilst I was writing the complaint, four police officers held me and dragged to one of the cells where they removed my pants and took all my belongings including my wallet, mobile phone, Army identity card and keys of my car. I was locked up inside the cell illegally at 3 am. Meanwhile, my fiancée was physically assaulted by two lady police officers in the lobby,” he mentioned in the complaint.

When the officer requested the constable to call the SI so that he could explain about the arrest protocols of an Army officer and how it required either an arrest warrant from a magistrate or on FIR of either rape or murder, he was told that the IIC would clarify why he was put in custody from 3 a.m. to 6.30 a.m.

“I was subjected to illegal custody, harassment and mental torture. At 6 a.m., when my fiancée being a lawyer by profession demanded the arrest warrant from the police authorities, she was dragged into a room and was stripped and brutally assaulted by four male and three female police officers including the SI in-charge,” he charged.

The Army captain said, “The IIC upon arrival sexually harassed and molested my fiancée and I could hear the screams for 30 minutes. Thereafter, my fiancée was illegally arrested and forwarded to the court.”

Considering the gravity of allegations, the Orissa High Court on Wednesday granted bail to fiancée of the Army officer in departure of established court procedure.

As per the practice, HC can take up a bail application only after the same is rejected by the District and Sessions Judge. However, the Orissa HC accepted direct bail petition moved by fiancée of army officer. In the order, the court expressed concerns over police action. The issue had triggered nationwide outrage.

Published - September 19, 2024 12:31 pm IST