'Sexual assault' in police custody: BJD stages dharna near Raj Bhavan, Congress tries to gherao CM's residence

Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD and Congress on Saturday staged protests demanding justice for a woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted at a police station in Bhubaneswar.

While the women's wing of the BJD staged a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan, Congress activists attempted to gherao the official residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, demanding his resignation over the incident.

Holding placards and banners, hundreds of women members of the BJD staged a dharna outside the governor's house and raised slogans against the state's BJP government, which it accused of failing to protect the residents, particularly women.

The BJD demanded a court-monitored SIT probe and judicial inquiry into the alleged torture of an army officer and his fiancée at Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar.

The regional party submitted a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu through Odisha Governor Raghubar Das.

Apart from the Bharatpur police station incident, the party also highlighted the state government's "inaction" over the governor's son allegedly physically assaulting an official during Rath Yatra in July this year.

"As the highest constitutional authority in the country, and a woman who hails from our state, we humbly and earnestly appeal to you for your intervention. We seek your guidance and influence in compelling the state government to take immediate and stern action to ensure that those responsible for these heinous acts are held accountable," the memorandum read.

"We also request you to demand an explanation from the state government regarding the actions taken, or lack thereof, on these grave incidents, particularly the one involving the Raj Bhavan assault. We look forward to your esteemed intervention in this urgent matter," it added.

Agitating BJD leader Lekhashree Samantasinghar alleged, "The state government does not have control over the administration and police. This is evident from the Bharatpur police station incident where an army officer and his woman friend were physically and sexually assaulted. This is not acceptable in a civilised society."

BJD leader and Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, who took part in the demonstration said, "BJD president Naveen Patnaik has demanded a court-monitored SIT probe and judicial inquiry because the state police cannot properly investigate the allegations against its own personnel. Therefore, a judicial probe can only give justice to the victims."

She also accused the state government of trying to cover up the incident and protect the erring policemen involved in the incident.

"CCTV cameras were installed at Bharatpur police station during its inauguration. However, now the police claimed there was no CCTV camera at the police station. This indicates how the government was trying to hush-up the incident," she alleged.

BJD MP Sulata Deo said the President is also a woman and can understand the plight of the army officer's fiancée, who was allegedly sexually assaulted in police custody.

Meanwhile, youth and student activists of the Congress staged a demonstration and attempted to gherao the official residence of the CM, demanding his resignation. Majhi also holds the home portfolio.

The agitators were seen hurling tomatoes and eggs at the chief minister's residence. However, the projectiles did not hit the intended target, the CM's residence on Mahatma Gandhi Marg, as the protesters were stopped by the police metres away from it.

Meanwhile, two separate groups of women activists also sat on a dharna near the Police Commissioner's office here. While one group demanded the immediate arrest of the erring policemen, the other group asked the state government not to take action against any police personnel before completion of the inquiry.

The alleged incident took place on September 15 when an army officer posted in West Bengal and his fiancée approached Bharatpur police station to lodge a complaint of road rage in which they were allegedly harassed by some local youths.

However, a verbal altercation took place between the duo and some policemen following which the officer and his fiancée were allegedly assaulted at the police station.