Army officer case: Odisha HC pulls up govt for not installing CCTV in police station

The Orissa high court on Monday asked the Mohan Majhi government to install CCTV cameras in all the police stations in the state amid the outrage over alleged sexual assault of the fiancée of an Indian Army officer at a police station in Bhubaneswar during the wee hours of September 15.

The high court had taken suo motu cognisance of the detention of the Indian Army Captain and sexual assault of his fiancée by five cops, including the inspector, at Bharatpur police station.

Chief justice of the Orissa high court, justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh said: “What’s disturbing, after having seen the sequence of events that admittedly two persons entered into the police station, apparently not to commit any crime but to lodge a complaint. What happened inside the police station is a mystery & being investigated. It is, however, surprising that they came out with a FIR registered against both of them for commission of offence relating to attempt to murder. Will anyone go to a Police Station after having noticed this fact?”

The court directed the additional DG (modernisation) of the Odisha Police to submit a status report on CCTV cameras at police stations across the state in the next hearing of the case on October 9. The court also appointed advocate Goutam Mishra as Amicus Curiae to oversee the case.

In 2020, the Supreme Court ordered the Centre to ensure that CCTV or closed circuit television cameras are installed in the offices of all investigative agencies, including police, for the sake of transparency and protection of human rights of accused.

The court also asked the government to take steps to ensure that all necessary facilities are available at police stations to prevent similar incidents in the future.

It ordered that names of the Army Captain and his fiancee cannot be published by electronics, print or social media.

The chief justice also made it clear that the high court will not monitor the investigation in this case as police have the statutory powers to conduct investigations.

Following the order, DGP YB Khurania said CCTV cameras will be installed at each and every police station in the state by October 8. “CCTV cameras will be installed in 57 new police stations while the devices will be replaced in 29 police stations,” he said.

The Bharatpur police station, where the alleged incident happened, does not have CCTV cameras though it was inaugurated in March this year as a model police station.

The 32-year-old fiancée of the army captain last week alleged that she was sexually assaulted by the cops at Bharatpur police station of Bhubaneswar in the wee hours of September 15. She said she was beaten, kicked and dragged through the corridors before a police inspector also molested and flashed her.

The woman, who runs a restaurant in Bhubaneswar, had gone out with her fiancé on the intervening night of September 14 and 15 when they were waylaid by a dozen people who started fighting with them. She alleged that when both of them went to the Bharatpur PS for lodging an FIR against the youths while identifying herself as a lawyer, a woman constable on duty got angry and misbehaved with her.

The Army captain in his FIR before the state CID alleged that he was illegally detained while his fiancée was sexually assaulted before being arrested. The inspector of the police station and four others there have been suspended.

On Saturday, the police arrested seven engineering students who had allegedly attacked the Army Captain and his girlfriend at Patharagadia area of Bhubaneswar. However, they were granted bail in just four hours.

On Sunday night, the state government ordered a judicial probe by former judge of Kolkata high court, justice(retired) Chitta Ranjan Dash to examine the sequence of events and circumstances that led to the alleged incident.

The commission will probe the role, conduct and accountability of the individuals/ groups/ authorities and any other matter connected with the incident. It would also suggest measures to be taken to avoid the recurrence of such events in future and ensuring safety and security of women. The one-man commission has been asked to submit its report within 60 days of its beginning of inquiry.

On Monday morning, the woman and the Army captain along with several ex-servicemen met chief minister Mohan Majhi and other senior ministers in Lok Seva Bhawan, the state secretariat. After the meeting, the woman said she was happy with the judicial probe order.

“The cops involved in the incident have been suspended and criminal cases have been filed against them. Cases have been registered against the youths involved in the brawl, too. The state government will ensure that the guilty will be punished in accordance with the law. Guilty won’t be spared in this case. The Odisha government is committed to safety, security, rights and dignity of women and respect the Indian Army,” said Majhi.

The Opposition BJD, which called for a bandh in Bhubaneswar to protest the government’s inaction over the matter on Tuesday, called off the strike in view of the judicial probe order.