Odisha Police orders investigation into incident at Bharatpur station involving Army Captain and his fiancée

An Army officer and his partner have alleged misconduct at Bharatpur police station in Odisha while they approached them with a complaint over an attack on them by miscreants in Bhubaneswar.

Amid accusations and counter-accusations between the police at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar and an Army Capt. Guruvansh and his fiancée Ankita alleging misconduct by the other side, Odisha police announced an investigation by the crime branch into the entire incident.

While the Captain has since been released on bail, his fiancée continues to remain in custody and, according to Army sources, has a broken jaw and severe injuries.

In the day, a senior Army officer met the Superintendent of the jail and also spoke to Ms. Ankita, the access which was denied earlier. The medical officer in the jail has confirmed severe injuries to her, a source said and Army has requested a re-medical examination.

“We have already started investigation into the incident. Our mandate is to ensure a fair investigation as two opposite parties have accused each other of ill-treatment. There is no time frame fixed to complete investigation,” Arun Bothra, Additional Director General of Police (Crime Branch), Odisha Police said on Tuesday (September 17, 2024).

“An incident of manhandling of an Army officer by Police Station, Bharatpur, Odisha has been reported in media. Indian Army takes a serious view of the incidence. Necessary action has been taken up with the state authorities,” the Army’s Lucknow-based Central Command said in social media ‘X’ on Monday.

According to the incident report with the Army and the couple’s version, at approximately 01.30 hours, early hours on Sunday the couple were travelling in their vehicle in Bhuvneshwar, Odisha, when they were harassed and abused by 12-13 individuals in three vehicles who were engaged in rash driving. The couple managed to get away and reached Bharatpur Police Station to file a complaint as they have noted the registration number of one of the cars, sources said. However, at the station things spiralled out of control with different versions by the police and the couple.

According to the couple, at the police station there only a lady Assistant Sub-Inspector and few constables on duty, with no police station incharge present. When they tried to register a complaint, they insisted on first getting a medical examination done and a complaint when the station incharge arrives. The police patrol came back at 2.45 a.m. with two more lady officers and four male officers. The couple allege that the lady ASI on her duty hours was not in her uniform and uncooperative. When they insisted on their complaint being registered, the lady was verbally abused. Capt. Gurvansh started to make a video of the incident in his mobile phone showing the reluctance of police to take action and their abusive behaviour, which further agitated the police, sources said. The couple was physically held, stripped of all belongings and detailed in a cell, while the lady was beaten, assaulted and molested, they allege.