Five Odisha cops suspended over alleged assault on army officer’s female friend

A woman was arrested and later released on bail for allegedly assaulting police officers and damaging property. She now claims that police officers sexually harassed her while she tried to file a complaint. Additionally, she alleges that they wrongfully jailed her partner at a police station near Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Odisha Police HQ suspended five officers, including one of Inspector rank, for “gross misconduct” following the incident.

Woman Alleges Harassment; Five Odisha Cops Suspended

The woman stated she went to Bharatpur Police Station to report an incident after she and her partner defended themselves against a group of men who attacked them late Sunday night while heading home from her restaurant at 1 am.

She claims that when she and her partner, an Army officer, arrived at the police station, only a female constable in plain clothes was present, and she refused to help them. After the constable verbally abused her, several male officers arrived and demanded a written statement from her partner. These officers then unlawfully jailed him.

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She further claimed that when she protested, two female officers assaulted her. She fought back, even biting one, but was overpowered, tied up with her own jacket, and locked in a room. Later, a male officer reportedly kicked her in the chest multiple times, pulled down his pants, and forcibly removed hers. She also accused the station’s Inspector-in-charge of making obscene gestures.

The police stated that the woman and her Army officer companion, who serves in the 22 Sikh Regiment in Kolkata, were drunk when they attacked an on-duty officer and damaged computers and furniture in the station. Local media reported that officers discovered a liquor bottle in their vehicle. The authorities arrested the woman, but the Odisha High Court granted her bail this week.

After her claims, Odisha’s Director-General of Police, YB Khurania, ordered the filing of a new complaint at the Chandaka Police Station to investigate the woman’s allegations that hooligans harassed her on the night of the incident. She is currently receiving treatment for her injuries, including a suspected fracture, at the AIIMS in Bhubaneswar.

The National Commission for Women has also taken notice of the incident and requested an urgent report from the police, demanding swift disciplinary action.

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