Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) decided to withdraw the Bhubaneswar Bandh call scheduled on September 24 (tomorrow) after the Odisha Government ordered a judicial inquiry into an alleged assault on an Army Major and his fiancée at a police station. 

The 6-hour bandh, which was scheduled for tomorrow to protest the alleged assault on the Army officer and his fiancee inside the police station, was called off temporarily, informed BJD leader Arun Sahoo at a presser today. 

"As a responsible political party, we decided to call off the 6-hour Bhubaneswar Bandh after the BJP government issued a gazette notification for a judicial inquiry into harassment of Army Major and his fiancee requesting the probe team to submit the report within 60 days," he said. 

"The BJD is with the people of Odisha. We withdrew the bandh in view of anticipated issues people will face due to the 6-hour strike in the city," he clarified. 

Notably, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged police brutality with an Army Major and his fiancee at Bhubaneswar's Bharatpur Police station on September 15. 

As per a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), CM Majhi decided after holding a high-level discussion with Deputy Chief Ministers K.V. Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, DGP Odisha Police, Y.B. Khurania and other senior officials at the Lok Seva Bhawan here late Sunday evening.

CM Majhi ordered the judicial inquiry under Justice Chittaranjan Das and requested the probe team to submit the report within 60 days.

The government has also requested the Orissa High Court to expedite the court-monitored Crime Branch investigation into the matter.

CM Majhi emphasized the rule of law and said that the state government has high respect for the Indian Army. He further added that the state government is fully concerned towards the safety, dignity and rights of women.

He added that the erring police officials involved in the case have been placed under suspension and a case has been registered against them too. Action has been taken against the youths accused of misbehaving with the Army officer and his fiancee on September 15.

The Chief Minister said the state government is committed to taking stringent action against all the persons and police personnel found guilty in the matter.

Earlier, the BJD Supremo and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik had demanded a full judicial inquiry into the incident that sent ripples across the country with leaders cutting across party lines condemning the act.

As per the reports, the Army officer, Gurvansh Singh Gosa, attached to the 22nd Sikh regiment in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal and his fiancee were assaulted by police at Bharatpur Police Station where he visited to lodge a complaint against some miscreants over an incident of road rage during wee hours on September 15. 

The Army officer was allegedly beaten up by the on-duty police officials while three female cops dragged his fiancee into a cell of the Police station. Some male cops, including the ex-Inspector in charge of the Bharatpur Police Station reportedly thrashed and molested her at the police station.

As many as five police officials including Bharatpur PS IIC Dinakrushna Mishra have been placed under suspension by the state police following widespread furore over the incident.