Bhubaneswar: Lieutenant General PS Sekhawat, the General Officer Commanding and Colonel of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment, has sought the intervention of the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court in the alleged sexual assault case involving an Army Major’s fiancé. The incident, which has drawn national attention, involves the alleged misconduct of police officers towards the Army Major and his fiancé at the Bharatpur Police Station in Odisha.
In a strongly worded letter to the Chief Justice, Lieutenant General Sekhawat expressed deep concern over the incident, stating, “The prestige of a serving Army Officer was demeaned and the modesty and dignity of his fiancé, who happens to be the daughter of a retired Brigadier, was grossly outraged by the police authorities.” He further accused the police of manipulating statements to conceal the brutality inflicted on the couple.
The incident reportedly began when the Army Major and his fiancé were harassed by a group of individuals, referred to as ‘road romeos,’ while returning home. When the couple approached the Bharatpur Police Station to lodge a complaint, they were allegedly assaulted by the police officers present. The fiancé has accused the police of physical and sexual assault, claiming that her fiancé was detained in a lockup while she was mistreated by both male and female officers.
Following the incident, the Odisha Crime Branch has taken over the investigation, and five police officers, including the Inspector-in-Charge of Bharatpur Police Station, have been suspended. The National Commission for Women has also sought an Action Taken Report from the Odisha Director General of Police.
