CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday decided to close and pass ‘appropriate orders and directions’ on the PIL on Bharatpur police station incident involving an army officer and his fiancée after taking stock of the status of investigation in the criminal cases registered in this connection.
The state police had come under heavy criticism after the army officer was allegedly tortured and his fiancée sexually assaulted in Bharatpur police station on September 15.
After public outcry and Indian Army’s displeasure over the incident, the state government had ordered a Crime Branch inquiry and a judicial probe.
The division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Savitri Ratho fixed Thursday for further consideration of the PIL and directed the state counsel to take instructions, especially regarding the status of investigation on the criminal case registered against the army officer, by then.
The high court had suo motu registered the PIL on September 23 on the basis of a letter received from Lieutenant General PS Shekhawat, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding and Colonel of the MECH INF REGT, Madhya Bharat Area.