The harrowing ordeal of an Army officer and his fiancée, who had gone to Bhubaneswar's Bharatpur police station to report a case of road rage, has shaken the nation. What began as an attempt to seek help quickly escalated into a night of brutal assault and unimaginable trauma at the hands of the very authorities they had turned to for protection. The incident occurred on September 14 when the couple was returning home, only to be chased and threatened by a group of unidentified miscreants. In fear for their safety, they hurried to the nearest police station, Bharatpur, hoping for assistance. Instead, they found themselves victims of a grievous assault by police officers.
On September 15, the couple arrived at the police station shortly after midnight, expecting the officers to take swift action against the goons who had harassed them. However, what followed was a nightmarish turn of events. Between 1:30 and 3 a.m., the couple alleges that they were not only ignored but also brutally assaulted by the police. The woman, in a deeply disturbing account, described how she was stripped, repeatedly kicked, and physically tortured by the officers. Her legs were tied with a scarf, and her hands were bound with her own jacket. She was dragged through the station’s corridors by her hair before being sexually assaulted by a police inspector who also flashed her.
In a desperate attempt to defend herself, the woman bit one of the officers, but this act of self-defense only led to her arrest. Meanwhile, the Army officer was thrown into a lockup, leaving him helpless to protect his fiancée from further abuse. The physical and psychological torment the woman endured was so severe that she suffered dislocations in her jaw and other injuries.
News of the horrific incident quickly reached the Army, which immediately raised an alarm with the Odisha government on September 16. Faced with mounting pressure and national outrage, the state government transferred the case to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) on September 17. A high-level investigation was launched to probe the grave misconduct by the police. The government also took decisive action by suspending five police officers involved in the assault, including the Inspector-in-charge of Bharatpur Police Station.
The woman, who had been wrongfully arrested, was granted bail by the Orissa High Court on September 18. Upon her release from custody on September 19, she recounted her terrifying experience to the media. Her injuries, both physical and emotional, were evident, with visible trauma from the brutal treatment she had suffered. An FIR was formally lodged against the five police officers involved after the Army officer filed an official complaint.
This incident has not only sparked nationwide outrage but has also raised serious questions about the safety and accountability of law enforcement agencies. The Odisha Police’s swift action in suspending the officers and launching an investigation offers some hope for justice, but the incident remains a stark reminder of the dangers faced by citizens, even when seeking help from those who are supposed to protect them. The Army officer and his fiancée continue to recover from the trauma, as the investigation into this gross violation of their rights proceeds.
