BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Ex-servicemen League on Tuesday demanded an independent probe into the alleged assault of an Army officer and his fiancée in Bharatpur police station.
Hours after the Odisha Police directed the Crime Branch to take over the case, the association said since the agency is part of Odisha Police, the inquiry may not be free, fair and transparent and attempts could be made to protect the police officials.
“The five officers including Bharatpur police station IIC must be suspended at once and an independent inquiry be conducted by the judiciary or the CBI. We have a feeling the senior police officers will believe what their subordinates tell them,” president of Odisha Ex-servicemen League, Brigadier (retd) Antaryami Pradhan told The New Indian Express.
Pradhan accused the cops of assaulting the officer’s fiancée who he said sustained serious injuries and has not been able to walk or eat after the incident. The reason for seeking an independent inquiry is there are no CCTV cameras installed in Bharatpur police station which could have proved the highhandedness by the police, he added.
“Police have also confiscated the Army officer’s mobile phone which was used by his fiancée to record the police officials’ behaviour. They also seized the identity card of the officer,” he said. Meanwhile, ex-servicemen associations have planned to hold a peaceful protest in front of Commissionerate Police Headquarters on Wednesday in connection with the matter.
Sources said the woman runs a restaurant in Patia and were returning with her Army officer partner on Saturday night when the spate of incidents took place.