Bhubaneswar: The judicial commission probing into the alleged torture of an army officer and sexual harassment of his fiancee at a police station in Bhubaneswar last year, submitted its report to Odisha government Monday.
The state government September 22, 2024, set up the commission headed by retired High Court Justice Chittaranjan Dash in the wake of a nationwide hue and cry over the alleged custodial torture of the two persons.
The Commission’s secretary Subhendu Mohanty met the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satyabrata Sahu and handed him the 282-page document during the day.
“We have submitted the final report to the state government,” Mohanty told reporters here.
The panel prepared the report after examining as many as 525 affidavits and questioning several people during the inquiry that began October 1 last year, he said.
The incident took place on the night of September 15 when the army officer along with his fiancee was returning home. They were intercepted by around 12 people travelling in three cars. The officer and the woman had gone to Bharatpur police station to complain about the road rage, but were allegedly tortured by the cops.
The two reached Bharatpur police station at around 2 am and urged the cops to depute a police control room (PCR) van to nab the miscreants who harassed them.
It was alleged that the police subjected them to torture instead of acting on their complaint. It was alleged that the police officials sexually assaulted the woman in custody.
The woman was arrested on the charge of biting a policewoman and misbehaving with other personnel at the police station. She is now out on bail.
Following a nationwide hue and cry, the state government suspended five personnel including the inspector in charge of Bharatpur police station and ordered a judicial probe into the matter. The government also ordered a Crime Branch probe.
