Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Sep 18 (PTI) Odisha Police on Wednesday suspended five personnel in connection with the alleged assault of an army officer and "molestation" of his female friend at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar.
According to an order issued by Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania, the five police personnel have been suspended on the charge of gross misconduct.
The suspended police personnel are Inspector Dinakrushna Mishra, Sub-inspector Baisalini Panda, two women ASIs Salilamayee Sahoo and Sagarika Rath and constable Balaram Hansda.
Mishra, Sahoo and Hansda have already been transferred on Tuesday following the alleged assault of the army officer and his female friend.
"During the period the order remains in force, they will remain under the disciplinary control of Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and draw special allowance and dearness allowance admissible under Rule 90 of Odisha Service Code," the order read.
The army officer posted in West Bengal and his female friend had approached Bharatpur police station early on Sunday to lodge a complaint of road rage in which they were allegedly harassed by some local youths.
At the police station, the duo picked up a quarrel with the personnel over the registration of an FIR.
The army officer was allegedly kept in the lockup and his female friend was taken to a secluded room by a woman officer, where she was allegedly assaulted, stripped and molested.
The army officer was detained for over 10 hours before being released following intervention by army authorities. The police, however, booked the female friend of the army officer.
Following the incident, the Central Command, Indian Army, in a post on X said, "An incident of manhandling of an army officer by police station, Bharatpur, #Orissa has been reported in the media. #IndianArmy takes a serious view of the incident. Necessary action has been taken up with the state authorities."
Speaking to reporters earlier, a police officer had claimed that the duo reached the police station in an inappropriate condition and when they were asked to lodge a written complaint about the road rage incident, they refused and instead misbehaved with the personnel, including a lady officer.
Following an order from the DGP, the Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Tuesday started an investigation into the alleged assault of the army officer and "molestation" of his female friend at a police station in Bhubaneswar.
Meanwhile, the Orissa High Court on Wednesday granted bail to the female friend of the army officer.
A single judge bench of Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra granted bail to the woman and ordered the lower court in Bhubaneswar to impose the bail conditions as per the law, her advocate said.
Alleging custodial torture, she had approached the high court seeking bail. While allowing her bail petition, the high court directed the state police to conduct an impartial inquiry into the case and warned the police not to harass the serving army officers in custody.
Posting the matter to be heard again on September 26, the court also directed the state government to provide better treatment facilities to the woman.
As per the direction of Orissa High Court, the female friend of the army captain has been shifted to AIIMS for treatment.
On the other hand, several retired army personnel brought out a protest march in the city, demanding a judicial inquiry into the incident. They also demanded exemplary criminal action against the police personnel involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, the incident has led to political slugfest in the state.
A delegation of BJD on Wednesday visited AIIMS to meet the woman. BJD leader Ashok Panda alleged that the incident indicates that the present government does not have control over the police department.
Reacting to the BJD's allegation, BJP leader Biranchi Tripathy said that the previous BJD dispensation, during its tenure, tried to protect the culprits in such incidents but the Mohan Charan Majhi government has taken action against the accused in this incident.