Bhubaneswar: The fiancée of an Army Captain who was allegedly assaulted in Bharatpur police custody on the night of September 15 expressed her gratitude and thanks to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi after meeting him on Monday.
After the meeting with Majhi, she said, “I thank the Chief Minister for the judicial and Crime Brank probes into the incident at the Bharatpur police station. The Chief Minister had a detailed discussion with us and I feel very relieved. I thank him for his initiatives,” she said.
Majhi on Monday met with the Army Captain, his fiancée and her father at Loka Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar to address an alleged police brutality case. During the meeting, Majhi assured them of an impartial investigation and promised strict action against those found guilty.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the victim’s father said, “I am happy and I thank the Chief Minister. We had a detailed discussion and I told him that my daughter runs a restaurant and returns home very late at night. I am worried about her security. The Chief Minister has assured us that he would soon ensure that Odisha is a safe place for women even at night and my daughter can return home safely.”
In response to a question regarding some videos of his daughter circulating on social media, the victim’s father said, “Those are selective videos aimed at character assassination. Tell me whether going to a pub or staying out late at night is wrong?”
Meanwhile, Brig (Retd) Laxmi Charan Patnaik, former chairman of Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), told the media, “The state government is taking serious note of our grievances. The Chief Minister told us that he will take stern action against those found guilty.”
Brig Patnaik emphasised that people should not consider the Bharatpur police station as a conflict between the Army and the police.” “It is a very sensitive issue and we must ensure that the incident should not be looked at as a conflict between the Defence personnel and the state police. Whenever such incidents have occurred in the past in other states, they left a scar on the relationship between the Defence forces and the police,” he cautioned.
In response to a query, Brig Patnaik said, “The assault on an Army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station should be condemned. No matter what the provocation is, police should behave properly, especially with women.”
He felt that police reform was the need of the hour in Odisha. “Aside from developing police infrastructure, it is important to train the police to behave like gentlemen. I am sure that the judicial probe ordered by the Chief Minister will look into the issue of police reforms,” he added.
