Bhubaneswar: BJP Veteran and Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo Saturday said no one, who are found to be involved in the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar on September 15 night, will be spared and stringent action will be taken against all culprits.
Shri Singh Deo said, “Chief Minister immediately suspended five police officials who are involved in the incident and investigation is under progress.”
Any person found guilty during the investigation, will not be spared and stringent action would be taken against them, he assured.
Alleging that the incident is being politicized, Singh Deo said, “Our another deputy chief minister Pravati Parida has already met the victim in hospital on Friday.”
“It was the BJD government, which has left the police in such a situation. Now, we are controlling them,” he added.
Raising voice over the alleged police assault on an army officer and his female friend, Opposition BJD and Congress today staged demonstration in Bhubaneswar and demanded arrest of the police officials, who are involved in the incident.
The women’s wing of BJD today staged a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan here while youth Congress activists attempted to gherao the official residence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, demanding his resignation over the incident.
Holding placards and banners, hundreds of women members of the BJD staged a dharna outside the governor’s house and raised slogans against the state’s BJP government, which it accused of failing to protect the residents, particularly women.
They demanded a court-monitored SIT probe and judicial inquiry into the alleged torture of an army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar.
The BJD submitted a memorandum addressed to the President through the Governor.
“The state government does not have control over the administration and police. This is evident from the Bharatpur police station incident where an army officer and his woman friend were physically and sexually assaulted. This is not acceptable in a civilised society,” said BJD leader Lekhashree Samantasinghar.
BJD leader and Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, who took part in the demonstration said, “BJD president Naveen Patnaik has demanded a court-monitored SIT probe and judicial inquiry because the state police cannot properly investigate the allegations against its own personnel. Therefore, a judicial probe can only give justice to the victims.”
Das also accused the state government of trying to cover up the incident and protect the erring policemen involved in the incident.
“CCTV cameras were installed at Bharatpur police station during its inauguration. However, now the police claimed there was no CCTV camera at the police station. This indicates how the government was trying to hush-up the incident,” she alleged.
BJD MP Sulata Deo said the party has decided to seek President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention in the matter as “she is also a woman and can understand the plight of the army officer’s fiancée” who was allegedly sexually assaulted in police custody.
Meanwhile, youth activists of the Congress staged a demonstration and attempted to gherao the official residence of the CM, demanding his resignation. Majhi also holds the home portfolio.
The agitators were seen hurling tomatoes and eggs at the chief minister’s residence. However, the projectiles did not hit the intended target, the CM’s residence, as the protesters were stopped by the police metres away from it.
The alleged incident took place on September 15 when an army officer posted in West Bengal and his fiancée approached Bharatpur police station to lodge a complaint of road rage in which they were allegedly harassed by some local youths.