‘Sexual assault’ in custody: BJD stages dharna near Raj Bhavan

The women's wing of opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday, 21 September, staged a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar in protest against the "sexual assault" on a woman in police custody.

Congress activists, on the other hand, attempted to gherao the official residence of Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, demanding his resignation over the incident. Majhi also holds the home portfolio.

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.

They 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.

"We will submit a memorandum addressed to the President through the governor," BJD leader Lekhashree Samantasinghar said.

"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," Samantasinghar said.

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."

Das 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 party has decided to seek president Droupadi Murmu's intervention in the matter as "she 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 students 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, as the protesters were stopped by the police metres away from it.

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.