Bhubaneswar: Amid much hue and cry by the opposition BJD over the assault on an Army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter. 

Briefing a presser here today, the BJD Supremo strongly condemned the police action towards the Army personnel and his fiancée, who visited a local police station seeking protection, describing the entire act as 'shocking'. 

"All of you heard what recently happened to an Army Major and his fiancée at a police station here in Bhubaneswar. This is very very shocking news of the violence that was meted out to both of them and the alleged sexual assault on the Major's fiancée. We demand a full judicial inquiry into this matter and action must be taken very quickly," Patnaik told reporters. 

Alleging the BJP government that completed its 100 days in Odisha of closing 'pro-people' programmes launched by his government, he said, "During our government, we had the system of Mo Sarkar in which Chief Minister, Ministers and senior officers would call the citizens to take feedback on their visits to government offices including police stations and hospitals, - whether they were treated with dignity and professional conduct. This BJP government has immediately stopped the pro-people initiative of Mo Sarkar and the consequences are visible." 

On the alleged assault on an employee at Puri Raj Bhawan by the Governor's son and his aides, he said, "The day, the BJP government refused to take action against the governor’s son on a serious case of assault, others got emboldened. I still urge this government to take action against the Governor’s son.  I demand a court-monitored SIT probe and a judicial inquiry into this grave incident against an army major and his fiancee." 

Meanwhile, Odisha Crime Branch today has registered a criminal case against five police personnel in connection with the alleged assault on Army Major Guruwant Singh and his fiancée Ankita Pradhan at the Bharatpur police station in the city.

Based on a complaint filed by the Army officer, the case has been registered against former Bharatpur police station IIC Dinakrushna Mishra, Sub Inspector Baisalini Panda, WASI Salilamayee Sahoo, WASI Sagarika Rath, and constable Balaram Hansda.

Earlier, Odisha DGP YB Khurania had suspended the five police personnel including the IIC.

The incident took place at 1.00 AM on September 15 when Major Guruwant Singh and his fiancée Ankita Pradhan went to the police station to file a complaint after some miscreants allegedly misbehaved with the couple on their way back to home. 

Instead of receiving their complaint, the police personnel allegedly harassed and assaulted the duo at the police station. 

As per an allegation leveled by the Major's fiancée, the IIC Dinakrushna Mishra attempted to assault her sexually inside the police station.

Also Read: Odisha: Army Major’s fiancée narrates horrifying ordeal post discharge from hospital

On the other hand, the police alleged that the Army officer and his partner attacked and misbehaved with on-duty police personnel at the police station.

The police personnel alleged that Singh and his fiancée visited the Bharatpur police station to lodge a complaint. When the woman Sub-Inspector on duty asked the Army Major and his fiancée to file a written complaint, they got irked and attacked the police personnel.